North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has identified and tracked two Tu-142 Russian maritime patrol aircraft inside the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

According to NORAD, the maritime patrol aircraft were in international airspace on 25 January. However, the aircraft did not enter US or Canadian sovereign airspace.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

The binational command noted that it did not scramble any aircraft to intercept.

NORAD said that it is able to track, identify and respond to possible incursions using ‘a layered defence network of satellites, ground-based radars, airborne radar and fighter aircraft’.

It carries out all air sovereignty and air defence missions in North America under Operation NOBLE EAGLE.

In a release, NORAD said: “This deliberate identification and monitoring of aircraft entering a US or Canadian ADIZ demonstrates how NORAD executes its continuous aerospace warning and aerospace control missions for the United States and Canada.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

“Despite Covid-19, NORAD has taken deliberate measures and remains fully capable of conducting our aerospace warning, aerospace control and maritime warning missions.”

As per NORAD releases issued last year, several intercepts were carried out by the command in response to Russian military aircraft entering the Alaskan ADIZ.

Some of the military aircraft sent by Russia are Tu-95 bombers, Su-35 fighter jets, A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft, IL-38 maritime patrol aircraft and Tu-160 bombers.

Airforce Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Airforce Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.


Excellence in Action
Discover how Virtualitics is transforming mission readiness with explainable AI, predictive maintenance, and data-driven decision intelligence across the U.S. Department of Defense through its AI-powered Integrated Readiness Optimization suite, for which it has won the Innovation and Business Expansion awards.

Discover the Impact