Russian TU-95 and Chinese H-6 military aircraft Return After The aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces and the Air Force of the People’s Liberation Army of China (PLAAF) conducted a joint patrol over the Chukchi Sea, Bering Sea and the northern part of the Pacific Ocean. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported this.
The flight, which lasted more than five hours, was carried out by Russian VKS Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers and PLAAF H-6K bombers. The crews worked on interaction issues at all stages of the air patrol. They were accompanied by Russian Su-30SM and Su-35S fighters and, in some sections, by aircraft of foreign states.
After completing the activities, all involved aircraft returned to their base airfields.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that the maneuvers were carried out within the framework of the military cooperation plan for 2024 and were not directed against third countries. They added that the aircraft did not violate the airspace of other countries.
On July 24, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) reported that Canada and the United States scrambled their fighters to intercept two Russian Tu-95 bombers and two Chinese H-6 military aircraft in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone. It was specified that the aircraft did not violate the US and Canada airspace.
NORAD stated that the flights remained in international airspace, did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace, and that the activity was not perceived as a threat.
The Alaskan zone is a perimeter in which air traffic is monitored even though it is still international airspace. This provides a greater reaction time in the event of hostile activities.
Russian aircraft are frequently intercepted in the vicinity. They are typically encountered by either visually or electronically aircraft from the US or Canada.
