On Sept. 23, off the coast of Alaska, an Air Force F-16 fighter jet and a Russian Su-35 fighter jet were involved in an incident. It was only a scare, but it could have turned into a real tragedy. The U.S. aircraft’s camera captured what happened in a video that the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) shared in an X post a few days later.
Although the clip only lasts 15 seconds, it’s extremely alarming. It shows the Russian pilot performing a reckless maneuver just a few feet from the F-16. “[It] endangered all,” NORAD said.
The incident could have been a simple clash reminiscent of Top Gun in the North Pacific. However, the context tells a different story. It occurred amid increased military activity in the area and the escalation of international tension due to the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
A high-level encounter. As mentioned earlier, the event occurred on Sept. 23 off the coast of Alaska. An Air Force F-16 aircraft assigned to NORAD was flying a routine mission after identifying Russian aircraft. While tracking a Russian Tu-95 bomber, the U.S. pilot saw a Russian Su-35 fighter, also under Kremlin orders, swiftly cross his path. In a matter of seconds, the Su-35 passed the nose of the F-16 at close range in a maneuver known as a “headbutt.”
A U.S. aircraft had a camera on board that captured a detailed sequence of the incident. Besides the 15-second video, NORAD also shared several photos of the event on the X post. The video captured the Su-35 maneuver, the shouts of astonishment of the U.S. pilot, and the pitching of his plane during the headbutt.
“[It] endangered all.” Reckless maneuvers like the headbutt by the Russian fighter aren’t new in military aviation and were relatively frequent during the Cold War. However, the incident involving the U.S. F-16 and the Russian Su-35 has attracted media attention because the U.S. has strongly condemned what happened publicly.
On Monday, NORAD published a brief statement accompanying the video. In it, officials explained that one of their aircraft had intercepted a Russian military aircraft in “a safe and disciplined” manner when a Su-35 suddenly passed it just a few feet away. Gen. Gregory Guillot said that the conduct of the Russian pilot was “unsafe, unprofessional, and endangered all–not what you’d see in a professional air force.”
Where did the incident occur? According to Air & Space Forces Magazine, the Air & Space Forces Association’s newsletter, the incident occurred off Alaska’s coast. Russian aircraft were operating in the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the state, which is an area under surveillance. NORAD confirmed this and reported on Sept. 23 that it had detected and tracked four Kremlin aircraft in that area.
This is significant because the ADIZ is a defense “identification” area. It covers the airspace surrounding the U.S. and Canada, although NORAD admits that the “Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace.”
“Ready identification.” In its statement, NORAD explains, “An ADIZ… is a defined stretch of international airspace that requires the ready identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security.” NORAD uses a defense network with satellites, radars, and aircraft to track other aircraft, which is what happened on Sept. 23.
It’s important to consider what, where, and when things happen. Although NORAD’s initial statement indicated that “Russian activity” in the Alaskan ADIZ is fairly routine and “not seen as a threat,” the organization's recent X post takes on a more serious tone and criticizes the Su-35 pilot for their behavior.
This message and the resulting reactions, including a U.S. senator’s call for increased military presence in Alaska and the Arctic, are easier to understand when you consider the context. This is influenced by two main factors.
The first is the military activity in the region. The Air & Space Forces reports that Russian aircraft accessed the Alaskan ADIZ at least four times in September, with four aircraft being tracked on Sept. 23 under Kremlin orders.
Additionally, citing NORAD, CBS revealed that the frequency of Russian aircraft entering the area has been on the rise. In 2023, there were 26 instances. So far in 2024, there have been 25.
There’s more. The U.S. military has also recently turned its attention to the area. In recent weeks, it deployed 130 soldiers with mobile rocket launchers to a remote island chain in the Aleutian Islands in western Alaska. Shortly before that, eight Russian military aircraft and four warships, including a pair of submarines, had approached during a joint Russia-China military exercise.
The second key factor in understanding the context is the escalation of international tension. First, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which started more than two and a half years ago, prompted significant Western sanctions on the country. Second, it’s also important to take into account what’s happening in the Middle East. The war in Gaza has been followed by Israel’s incursion into southern Lebanon, to which Iran has responded by launching almost 200 missiles into Israel. President Benjamin Netanyahu has already announced retaliation.
Image | NORAD Command
View 0 comments