By SDCN Editor
Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska–On three separate occasions, over the past three days, the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) region detected, tracked, and identified Russian surveillance aircraft entering and operating within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone, military officials said.
The Russian surveillance aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace, according to NORAD.
Military officials said the recent Russian activity Monday in the North American ADIZ is not seen as a threat nor is the activity seen as provocative.
NORAD, the United States and Canada bi-national organization, tracks and positively identifies foreign military aircraft that enter the ADIZ. NORAD routinely monitors foreign aircraft movements and as required, escorts them from the ADIZ.
The defense organization employs a layered defense network of satellites, ground-based radars, airborne radar, and fighter aircraft to track and identify aircraft and inform appropriate actions.
“We remain ready to employ a number of response options in defense of North America and Arctic sovereignty,” NORAD said in a news release.
