(CNN)US F-22 fighter jets intercepted Russian military aircraft in international airspace off the coast of Alaska late Thursday, according to North American Aerospace Defense Command.
The intercept took place amid heightened tensions between the US and Russian militaries, tensions that were thrust onto center stage this week when a collision between American and Russian military vehicles in Syria injured seven US service members and led Moscow and Washington to blame each other for the incident.
"North American Aerospace Defense Command F-22 fighter aircraft, supported by KC-135 air refuelers, intercepted three groups of two Tu-142 Russian maritime patrol aircraft that entered the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone late last night," the command said in a statement on Friday.
While the Russian aircraft came within 50 nautical miles of the Alaskan coast, they remained in international airspace.
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Update: US military intercepts 6 Russian jets off Alaska (The Hill)
WNU Editor: The F-22s intercepted three groups of two Tu-142 Russian maritime patrol aircraft off Alaska.
F-22’s make no sense as an interceptor to elderly slow prop jets. F-15 or F-16 could do that job. So I have to wonder how many times Russia has intercepted F-22’s in or near Russian airspace?
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