American Fighter Jets Intercept Russian and Chinese Bombers in Alaska Ahead of Biden's Important Speech

On Wednesday, August 3, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) announced that ahead of an important speech by U.S. President Joe Biden, it had scrambled fighter jets to intercept two pairs of Russian and Chinese bombers. According to Fox News, this operation took place less than an hour before Biden's speech at the Oval Office of the White House, where U.S. and Canadian fighter jets identified and intercepted two Russian 'Tu-95' bombers and two Chinese 'H-6' bombers off the coast of Alaska. NORAD also stated that the Russian and Chinese aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter the sovereign airspace of the U.S. or Canada. NORAD had previously described this operation as 'routine,' noting that American fighter jets conduct such operations six or seven times a year in the 'Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone,' identifying and intercepting all aircraft entering that area and expelling them if necessary. The command emphasized that the air activity of Russia and China in Alaska is not considered a threat, but NORAD will continue to monitor competitor activities near North America closely. NORAD, a joint command between the U.S. and Canada, protects North American airspace using a network of satellites, radars, and fighter aircraft.