The intercept was carried out because the Russian Tu-95MS bombers and their escorting fighters transited the Alaskan ADIZ (Air Protection Identification Zone).
On Feb. 19, 2026, the U.S. Air Drive launched two F-16s, two F-35s, one E-3, and 4 KC-135s tankers to “intercept, positively establish, and escort the plane till they departed the Alaskan ADIZ.”
In accordance with NORAD (North American Aerospace Protection Command), the Russian plane had been recognized as being two Tu-95s, two Su-35s, and one A-50 AEW (Airborne Early Warning) plane: a “bundle” that was beforehand noticed flying off Alaska throughout routine long-range coaching missions prior to now.
“The Russian navy plane remained in worldwide airspace and didn’t enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace. This Russian exercise within the Alaskan ADIZ happens repeatedly and isn’t seen as a menace,” an official press launch said.
Really, there have to be some form of seasonality in such Russian sorties: a fairly related mission was carried out (with the identical consequence – the intercept by the F-35s) on the exact same day (Feb. 19, 2025) final yr, as we reported intimately right here.
In accordance with the Russian MOD, the Tu-95MS had been concerned in a +14-hour mission over the Bering Sea that concerned AAR (Air-to-Air Refueling). Moscow says the fighter escort was offered by Su-35S and Su-30SM multirole plane of the Russian Aerospace Forces. “At sure phases of the route, the strategic missile carriers had been accompanied by fighters of overseas states.”
Footage launched by the Russian MOD on Telegram certainly exhibits Alaska-based U.S. F-35s and F-16s shadowing the Tu-95s and Su-35s throughout their transit by the ADIZ (apparently, the clips don’t present any Su-30SM that the Russians stated had been a part of the mission).
The Russian MoD launched footage from the VKS sorties into the Alaskan ADIZ.High left: a Su-35S and an F-35A (filmed from a Tu-95MS).High proper: an F-35A (filmed from a Tu-95MS).Backside left: a pair of F-16Cs (filmed from a Su-35S).Backside proper: a pair of F-16Cs. pic.twitter.com/RmSAJCB6vg
— Man Plopsky (@GuyPlopsky) February 20, 2026
“Crews of the long-range aviation repeatedly perform flights over the impartial waters of the Arctic, the North Atlantic, the Pacific Ocean, the Baltic and Black Seas. All flights of the plane of the Russian Aerospace Forces are carried out in strict accordance with worldwide guidelines of airspace use.”
As soon as once more, it’s price highlighting a few issues:
such shut encounters are fairly routine
there’s a delicate distinction between commonplace English and aviation utilization of the phrase “intercept”: in aviation it means to method, establish, monitor and finally shadowing/escorting one other plane whereas in English language there’s clear implication of stopping or stopping.
there’s a big distinction between ADIZ and nationwide airspace. The ADIZ is an airspace surrounding a nation or a part of it the place identification, location, and management of plane over land or water is required within the curiosity of nationwide safety. Because of this any plane flying in these airspaces with out authorization could require identification by interception by fighter plane in QRA (Fast Response Alert). ADIZ around the globe prolong effectively past the boundaries of the nationwide airspace above territorial waters (in truth, they don’t seem to be outlined in any worldwide legislation), however any (civil) plane that enters such carefully monitored airspace is tracked and requested to supply its deliberate course, vacation spot and any further particulars that will assist its identification. Navy plane that don’t intend to enter the nationwide airspace usually are not required to establish themselves or in any other case adjust to ADIZ procedures however it’s a frequent observe that any overseas navy plane flying throughout the ADIZ, is intercepted, recognized and escorted. On the opposite facet, territorial sky is the nation’s sovereign airspace over territorial land and waters (that reach to 12NM from the coast).
A-50 Mainstay’s function
As defined, the Russian mission on Feb. 19, 2026, was virtually a duplicate of a mission flown on Feb. 19, 2025. The principle distinction, this yr, is the confirmed presence of a Beriev A-50 Mainstay. The AEW typically accompany the Russian Bear on their long-range patrols internationally. Right here’s what we wrote concerning the presence of the AEW platform in a mission close to Alaska in Might 2017:
The presence of the Mainstay shouldn’t be underestimated. It was flying effectively behind the Flanker and Bear plane with a particular objective. As an AEW (Airborne Early Warning) platform the A-50 is believed to embed some ESM (Digital Assist Measures): in different phrases, it is ready to detect far-off targets in addition to in a position to sniff radar, radio and information hyperlink emissions. Moreover, Raptors in QRA (Fast Response Alert) *often* fly with exterior gas tanks and Luneburg lenses: which means they’re (consciously) seen to radars. In such situations, though it could possibly’t “characterize” the clear F-22’s signature, the Mainstay can at the very least collect some information concerning the interceptors’ radar emissions (if any) and observe and research their ways.
Subsequently, as ceaselessly occurs on each side for the reason that Chilly Warfare, on Might 3 [2017], the Russians likely carried out one other simulated long-range strike mission however with a exact ELINT (ELectronics INTelligence) goal: the Flankers and Bears had been appearing as a “decoy” bundle to check the American scramble ways and response occasions, whereas the Mainstay, in a again place, tried to gather as a lot alerts and information as attainable concerning the US fighters launched to intercept them.
Russia’s ageing A-50 AEW fleet, which was already small a decade in the past, has been lowered even additional by losses suffered throughout the conflict with Ukraine. Parked A-50s have been focused by FPV drones whereas at the very least two have been shot down.
Solely a handful of A-50s are nonetheless operational, and its A-100 alternative appears to be making little progress. In November 2025, Ukraine attacked Beriev plant reportedly destroying a one-of-a-kind testbed plane designated the A-100LL, the prototype for Russia’s new A-100 AEW jet.
