Russian nuclear bombers were spotted flying near Alaska this week. The bombers were escorted by fighter jets, floating just outside of U.S. & Canadian airspace. This is the 2nd such sighting since June, sparking the attention of American military jets.
Major Beth Smith, of the U.S. Northern Command & the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), has said "Over the past week, NORAD has visually identified Russian aircraft operating in & around the U.S. air defense identification zones." There have been about 16 Russian forays in the Alaskan & north Canadian area in the last 10 days. It is not entirely uncommon to see Russian planes in this airspace, however, the increased # of such planes seems to be triggering some concern amongst the aviation military community, particularly given the increased tension in Ukraine. Smith referred to this # of forays as "a spike in activity." Smith noted that these were training missions, though a spy plane & anti-submarine plane were spotted among the bombers. However, another defense official told the Washington Free Beacon they believe this is more than just a training flight. The official stated "[Russian strategic nuclear forces appear to be] trying to test our air defense reactions, or our command & control systems. These are not just training missions." The Russian military has admitted they have flown in that area. They told ITAR-TASS, "all flights were scheduled in advance and were made in strict compliance with the international rules of using airspace without trespassing the borders of other countries."
Read full story at: http://news.yahoo.com/russian-nuclear-bombers-keep-roaming-closer-u-airspace-145055700.html