PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo– The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected and tracked one IL-20 COOT operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Aug. 24, 2025.
NORAD responded with an E-3, two F-16s, and two KC-135s tanker to intercept and visually identify the Russian aircraft in the Alaskan ADIZ.
The Russian military aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace. This Russian activity in the Alaskan ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat.
An ADIZ begins where sovereign airspace ends and is a defined stretch of international airspace that requires the ready identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security.
NORAD employs a layered defense network of satellites, ground-based and airborne radars and fighter aircraft to detect and track aircraft and inform appropriate actions. NORAD remains ready to employ a number of response options in defense of North America.
