[Regnum] The North American Aerospace Defense Command scrambled 12 US and Canadian aircraft after the alleged appearance of two Russian Tu-142 anti-submarine aircraft in international airspace. This was reported on March 12 by the American magazine The National Interest (TNI).
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According to these reports, the incident occurred last week, from March 2 to 8. Following the appearance of Russian aircraft, the US command deployed two F-35A Lightning IIs, two F-22 Raptors, four KC-135 Stratotanker tankers, one E-3 Sentry airborne early warning and control aircraft, two Canadian CF-18 Hornet fighters, and a CC-150 Polaris tanker.
"The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not violate the sovereign airspace of the United States or Canada. Such Russian activity in the Air Defense Identification Zones (ADIZs) in Alaska and Canada occurs regularly and is not considered a threat," the command said in a statement.
At the same time, the publication's observers called the reaction of the American military "disproportionate" and suggested that the dispatch of 12 aircraft after the appearance of two aircraft was intended to be a signal to the Kremlin about "America's strength."
Russian aircraft regularly conduct scheduled flights over international waters and in international airspace. For example, in September 2025, Tu-95MS strategic bombers conducted a scheduled flight over the international waters of the Bering and Okhotsk Seas. The flight was conducted in accordance with international regulations. On certain sections of the route, foreign fighters escorted the Russian bombers. The North American Aerospace Defense Command reported that the US scrambled F-16 fighters while the Russian aircraft were in international airspace and noted that the actions of the Russian bombers were not considered a threat.