Two Russian and two Chinese bombers were intercepted while flying near US airspace.
U.S. and Canadian fighter jets scrambled to bid farewell to the arriving planes hours before Joe Biden was set to address the nation about his presidency.
Russian TU-95 ‘Bear’ turboprop strategic bombers and Chinese H-6 jet bombers have been spotted by the North American Aerospace Defense Command.
NORAD detected and tracked the aircraft as it entered Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone on Wednesday, the command said.
Russian TU-95 ‘Bear’ turboprop strategic bombers (file photo) and Chinese H-6 jet bombers were spotted by the North American Aerospace Defense Command
None of the four planes entered U.S. airspace and remained in international airspace when NORAD aircraft intercepted them.
The presence of foreign aircraft in the Alaskan ADIZ is not considered a threat, but is closely monitored by NORAD satellites, radars and aircraft.
The zone is a stretch of international airspace extending 150 miles from the coast and is patrolled by NORAD, a partnership between the United States and Canada.
All aircraft entering the zone are required to identify themselves in the interest of national security.
President Joe Biden, in a speech from the Oval Office, revealed why he decided to resign as the Democratic candidate
Tensions between the United States and Russia are rising amid the war in Ukraine and widening conflicts in the Middle East.
Defense experts have warned that global tensions have not been this intense since at least the 1970s.
Biden delivered an 11-minute farewell speech in the United States on Wednesday night to explain why he abandoned his re-election bid on Sunday.
The president said he chose ‘Passing the torch’ to the vice president Kamala Harris because it was time to listen to “younger voices” and he believed that this would “unite” the country and “save democracy.”