Two F-22s from JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, intercepted Russian Tu-95 Bears off the coast of Alaska on Monday. Two Russian bombers were tracked flying in international airspace, when the two F-22s were scrambled and conducted an intercept the Pentagon said was “safe and professional,” according to The Associated Press. The bombers flew as close as 100 miles from Alaska’s Kodiak Island, and F-22s flew alongside the bombers for about 12 minutes, according to AP.
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.