The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) released a video on Monday (September 30th) showing that last week, when the U.S. military was conducting an interception mission in Alaskan airspace, a Russian Su-35 fighter dangerously approached a U.S. F-16 fighter, with the two aircraft only a few feet apart.
NORAD Commander and Air Force General Gregory M. Guillot stated in a release that on September 23, U.S. aircraft carried out a “safe and disciplined” interception of Russian aircraft in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone. However, the Su-35 exhibited “unsafe and unprofessional” behavior. Guillot said that the Russian actions “endangered everyone’s safety”.
He said, “This is not something you would see in a professional air force.”
The statement included a 15-second video taken from the perspective of a U.S. F-16 fighter. In the video, the Russian fighter flew sideways from behind the F-16, passing just a few feet to the left of the American aircraft and then cutting in front of the F-16’s nose, causing the F-16 to tilt and shake to the left.
The video also seemed to capture the startled exclamation of the American pilot.
In an earlier statement, NORAD stated that on Monday, September 23, four Russian military aircraft were detected in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
In addition to the intercept operation on September 23, NORAD previously reported detecting and tracking Russian military flights off the coast of Alaska on September 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15.
NORAD stated that during these incidents, the Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter U.S. or Canadian airspace.
Prior to this dangerous flight incident, China and Russia had conducted joint exercises, with eight Russian military aircraft and four naval vessels (including two submarines) approaching Alaska.
In response to the military activities of China and Russia, the U.S. military transferred about 130 soldiers and HIMARS rocket launchers to a remote island in the Aleutian Islands off western Alaska. They stayed deployed on the island for a week before returning to their base.
Regarding the behavior of the Russian aircraft, U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee member and Senator Dan Sullivan stated on Monday, “On September 23, Russian fighter pilots engaged in reckless, unprofessional behavior in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone – coming within a few feet of our fighters stationed in Alaska, putting the lives of our brave pilots at risk.”
Sullivan stated that these actions demonstrate an escalation of the aggression of dictators.
“I commend our pilots for consistently and professionally carrying out these complex interception missions,” he said. “We need to respond with force and continue to strengthen the U.S. military presence in Alaska and the Arctic, providing our military with more infrastructure.”