U.S. fighter jets intercepted Russian bombers off Alaska and California this month, the latest incidents in a string of recent aerial encounters over the Pacific. On June 4, according to U.S. defense officials, four long-range Russian Tu-95 Bear-H bombers, accompanied by an aerial refueling tanker, flew into the U.S. Air Defense Identification Zone, an area extending 200 miles from the North American coast, off Alaska, where they were intercepted by U.S. F-22 fighter jets. Two of the Russian bombers peeled off and headed west, while the other two flew south and were identified by U.S. F-15 fighters within 50 miles of the California coast. Capt. Jeff Davis, a spokesman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, said it was the first time U.S. jets had intercepted Russian military aircraft off California since July 4, 2012. Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren said it is believed the Russian planes were on a training mission. Davis said the Russian planes were entirely within their rights during the flight. "They followed all the protocols, and it was a very professional encounter on both sides," he said. "There was nothing that they were doing that was contrary to international law." The Russian planes never entered U.S. territory proper.
Even though the planes never technically entered our airspace , this is sketchy. Why would there be a need for them to fly so close? There are many other places they could be flying so why so close to our country? We have not had the best relations with russia in the past so i don't think they would just fly so close if there wasn't a different motive.
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