Tense Skies: Unsafe Maneuver by Russian Fighter Jet Near Alaska

The U.S. military released footage of a Russian fighter jet performing an unsafe maneuver during an intercept near Alaska. This event was deemed unsafe and unprofessional, deviating from usual safe and professional interactions between the two nations' aircraft in international airspace.

The U.S. military on Monday released a video showcasing what it described as an unsafe maneuver by a Russian fighter jet near Alaska during an intercept conducted by the U.S. military last week.

Although the United States routinely performs aerial intercepts of Russian aircraft in international airspace near Alaska, officials noted this incident as atypical. 'The conduct of one Russian Su-35 was unsafe, unprofessional, and endangered all – not what you'd see in a professional air force,' stated Air Force General Gregory Guillot, who oversees U.S. forces in North America, in a post on X.

North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) reported on September 23 that it detected and tracked four Russian military aircraft in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone. Altogether, NORAD indicated that such Russian activity is regular and generally not seen as a threat. The Russian embassy in Washington did not immediately provide a comment on the matter.

(With inputs from agencies.)