- A Russian Su-35 aircraft flew dangerously close to a US F-16, per NORAD.
- The incident occurred during an intercept near Alaska.
- Video footage and photos showed the Su-35 flying past the F-16 during an intercept of a Russian aircraft.
A Russian military jet flew dangerously close to a US aircraft during an intercept near Alaska last week.
Footage and photos captured the reckless behavior, showing the Russian plane flying close to an American F-16 fighter jet before veering off in front of it.
North American Aerospace Defense Command shared new visuals and additional information about the incident on Monday, writing on X in a statement attributed to Gen. Gregory Guillot, the commander of NORAD and US Northern Command, that it occurred on September 23 during a “safe and disciplined intercept of a Russian military aircraft” in the Alaskan air defense identification zone.
NORAD
NORAD detected and tracked multiple Russian aircraft operating in the area, which is international airspace monitored and patrolled by NORAD and NORTHCOM. This kind of activity, the command said, “occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat,” and the majority of intercepts are routine.
The documented behavior of the Russian Su-35 during this intercept, however, was risky, as it was alarmingly close to the American aircraft.
NORAD’s video of the incident showed the US F-16 flying far from a lumbering Russian military aircraft. A Su-35 approaching from behind then suddenly soars in between them, flying close to the F-16 before cutting across its flight path.
“The conduct of one Russian Su-35 was unsafe, unprofessional, and endangered all — not what you’d see in a professional air force,” Guillot said, per the post on X.
The US has documented an uptick of unsafe actions by Russian and Chinese aircraft, particularly in recent years. The Pentagon released a report in 2023 documenting more than 180 coercive or risky intercepts by Chinese aircraft since fall 2021, more in just two years than the entire previous decade.
A few years ago, a string of unsafe Russian intercepts of US Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft occurred over a few months. Those incidents involved Russia’s Su-35 air superiority fighter.
P-8A crews previously told Business Insider that while most of their interactions with foreign militaries are professional, some, such as the occasionally unsafe intercepts involving Russian aircraft, can be close calls.
