North American Aerospace Defense Command intercepted a Russian aircraft in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone on Sunday, sending two F-16s, two KC-135s and an E-3 Sentry "to intercept and visually identify" what we now know was a Russian Ilyushin IL-20 Coot spy plane. According to NORAD, it's also the third time that's happened in the last week. At least officially, though, our government isn't worried, with ABC News reporting that NORAD released a statement saying, "This Russian activity in the Alaskan ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat."
Technically, the ADIZ the Russian plane entered isn't considered U.S. or Canadian airspace and instead "begins where sovereign airspace ends and is a defined stretch of international airspace that requires the ready identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security." The two previous incidents took place on August 20 and 21, and each time, the F-16s intercepted a Russian Il-20. In its Sunday statement, NORAD said it "employs a layered defense network of satellites, ground-based and airborne radars and fighter aircraft to detect and track aircraft and inform appropriate actions," while adding, "NORAD remains ready to employ a number of response options in defense of North America."
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While Alaska's ADIZ is technically outside U.S. airspace, and NORAD claims this happens regularly and isn't considered a threat, three incidents in a week does appear to be outside the norm. SSJ News reports that NORAD only reported 14 incidents in the last year, suggesting a significant increase in Russian spy plane activity in the area. The news also comes days after President Trump met with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin at Alaska's Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to discuss how much the U.S. and Ukraine would have to give up for Putin to end his invasion of Ukraine.
At the meeting, Trump quite literally rolled out the red carpet for Putin, who currently has an open arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for war crimes committed against the Ukrainian people. Despite his groveling and legitimization of Putin, who has become an international pariah, Trump didn't even manage to secure an agreement for a ceasefire, much less a peace deal. However, one Alaskan Ural owner did secure a free motorcycle, which Putin gave him "as an act of giving," and he felt like he couldn't refuse.
By CNN's count, during his campaign, Trump promised he would end Russia's war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office at least 53 times. That, of course, didn't happen, and more than seven months later, it appears the war is no closer to being over than it was the day after Trump was inaugurated. Clearly, though, this is all Kamala's fault. Or maybe it's Obama's. Either way, you can't blame the guy who's currently in charge. That would just be ridiculous.
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