Long-range anti-submarine aircraft Tu-142 of the Russian Navy were spotted off the coast of Alaska. This alarmed the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
To intercept two Russian reconnaissance aircraft, 12 aircraft were scrambled into the sky — two F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II fighters of the US Air Force, which were accompanied by four KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft. The E-3 Sentry "flying radar", CF-18 Hornet and CC-150 Polaris tanker — both Canadian — were also involved.
According to Defense News, the Tu-142 was flying near the identification zones of the Alaskan air defense system. The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace, which was confirmed by NORAD.
The Tu-142 was developed on the basis of the Tu-95 strategic bomber and is called a "submarine hunter". This long-range anti-submarine aircraft is widely used for naval reconnaissance, including visual observations and electronic intelligence methods.