The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) reported that it detected and tracked two Russian Tu-142 military aircraft operating in the Alaskan and Canadian Air Defense Identification Zones (ADIZ) on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.
According to a statement released by NORAD Public Affairs, the command launched a large monitoring and interception operation to identify and track the Russian aircraft while they were operating in international airspace.
For the mission, the following assets were deployed:
- two U.S. Air Force F-35 fighter jets
- two F-22 fighter jets
- four KC-135 tanker aircraft
- one E-3 AWACS airborne early warning aircraft
- two Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter jets
- one Canadian CC-150 tanker aircraft
These assets were used to positively identify, monitor, and intercept the Russian aircraft while they were operating in North American air defense zones.
According to NORAD, the Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not violate the sovereign airspace of the United States or Canada. The command noted that this type of Russian military activity in the Alaskan and Canadian ADIZ occurs regularly and is not considered a direct threat.
What is an ADIZ
An Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) begins where a country’s sovereign airspace ends. It is an area of international airspace in which aircraft are required to identify themselves in advance for national security reasons.
NORAD defense system
NORAD operates a layered defense network that combines:
- surveillance satellites
- ground-based radars
- airborne radar systems
- fighter aircraft
This system allows the detection and tracking of aircraft approaching North America and enables different operational responses when necessary.
The command stated that it remains fully prepared to employ multiple response options in the defense of North American airspace.
Source and images: NORAD. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
