NORAD launches fighter jets to intercept five Russian warplanes near Alaska

The North American Aerospace Defense Command launched fighter jets Thursday to intercept five Russian warplanes detected near Alaska.

NORAD "detected and tracked two Tu-95s, two Su-35s, and one A-50 operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone," the organization said. In response, "NORAD launched two F-16s, two F-35s, one E-3, and four KC-135s to intercept, positively identify, and escort the aircraft until they departed the Alaskan ADIZ," per the defense command.

The Russian warplanes stayed in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace, according to NORAD, which added that this "occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat."

ADIZ is a "stretch of international airspace that requires the ready identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security," and starts "where sovereign airspace ends," NORAD said.

NORAD previously said in August and September that it detected and tracked Russian aircraft in the Alaskan ADIZ, The Hill news outlet reported.