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NORAD Scrambles F-35s and F-16s to Intercept Russian Tu-95s in Alaska ADIZ; Russia Publishes Intercept Footage

NORAD detected and tracked five Russian military aircraft transiting the Alaska ADIZ — two Tu-95MS bombers, two escort fighters and a reconnaissance plane — prompting U.S. and Canadian forces to scramble two F-16s, two F-35s, an E-3 AWACS and four KC-135 tankers. Russia later published footage of the intercept.

Discovered 2026-02-19T21:06:47.394115-08:00 | 2026-02-19T21:06:47.394115-08:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • NORAD and allied forces tracked and escorted five Russian aircraft (two Tu-95MS bombers, two fighters and a recon plane); the response employed nine U.S./Canadian assets (two F-16s, two F-35s, an E-3 AWACS and four KC-135s), underlining operational demand and readiness.
  • The sortie is part of a pattern of increased high-latitude probing by Russia and partners, consistent with broader reports of recent Arctic probing that pressure NORAD and NATO surveillance posture.
  • Incidents like this drive investment and posture changes across allied sensors and response forces, reinforcing initiatives such as surveillance upgrades including Denmark's fast-tracked radars and reflect the routine scramble cadence seen in other NORAD responses (e.g., California intercepts) [source:3a5ecd84-a0b1-43f6-bff1-5af54ada6496].

Reported By

indiandefencereview.com The Hill news.ssbcrack.com halifax.citynews.ca Associated Press CTV News
Sources Tracked
19
First Seen
2026-02-19T21:06:47.394115-08:00
Latest Update
2026-02-23T11:31:40.614597-08:00
Coverage
Defense

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