NORAD scrambled F-16 fighters to intercept a Russian spy plane that keeps popping up off Alaska

The North American Aerospace Defense Command scrambled F-16s four times in the past week to intercept Russian spy planes near Alaska, a sudden spike in activity along the US frontier.

The latest encounter came Tuesday, when NORAD tracked a Russian Il-20 surveillance aircraft inside the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone, a stretch of international airspace where planes must identify themselves for national security reasons.

Two F-16s, an E-3 Sentry, and a KC-135 refueling tanker — all American assets, since Canada doesn’t operate them — responded to the intrusion, NORAD said.

“The Russian military aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace,” Colorado-headquartered NORAD said. “This Russian activity in the Alaskan ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat.”

Though not a threat, the latest incident notably marked the fourth time since August 20 that NORAD has scrambled F-16s in response to one of the Il-20 aircraft operating within the Alaskan ADIZ. Prior to this spate of intercepts, it had been a month since the bilateral command disclosed an intercept of a Russian military aircraft there.

The Russian Ilyushin Il-20M — identified by NATO as “Coot-A” — is a Soviet-era surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft that made its first flight in the late 1960s. Fewer than 20 of these planes are estimated to still be in active service.

While NORAD routinely tracks Russian aircraft operating inside Alaska’s ADIZ — there were engagements in February, April, and July — the disclosure of four incidents in a week appears to be rather unusual for this year.

Business Insider contacted Russia’s defense ministry and its embassy in the US for comment on the flights, but it did not immediately receive a response.

NORAD fighters have also intercepted Chinese aircraft near Alaska. Last year, the command tracked two Russian Tu-95s and two Chinese H-6s in the ADIZ — the first time these two countries have flown bombers together in the area.

The US has also detected an increase in Russian and Chinese naval activity near Alaska amid growing interest and military activity in the Arctic region.

Meanwhile, Russian activity is not limited to North America. In recent weeks, for instance, German fighter aircraft have reportedly scrambled on multiple occasions to intercept Russian Il-20 surveillance planes operating near NATO airspace.

Earlier this month, NATO said that Italian F-35s scrambled from Estonia in response to Russian aircraft. The alliance operates a permanent air policing mission around Eastern Europe to keep an eye on Moscow’s activity.

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