US, Canada detect Russian military planes near Alaska: Report

The United States and Canada detected two Russian military aircraft near the US state of Alaska on Wednesday, the joint US-Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said.

The organization said it launched 12 aircraft, including F-35 and F-22 fighter jets, to "identify, monitor, and intercept" the two detected Russian TU-142 military aircraft, which are used for maritime patrols.

"The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace," NORAD said in a statement.


"This Russian activity in the Alaskan and Canadian ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat."

ADIZ refers to the Alaskan and Canadian Air Defense Identification Zones, which is a stretch of international airspace that requires the identification of all aircraft.