Four Russian strategic bombers triggered U.S. air defense systems

Highway to the danger zone: 

Russian bombers buzz coast of California, Alaska

By Bill Gertz 

Practice runs are latest Cold War-like provocation from Putin

Four Russian strategic bombers triggered U.S. air defense systems while conducting practice bombing runs near Alaska this week, with two of the Tu-95 Bear H aircraft coming within 50 miles of the California coast, the North American Aerospace Defense Command confirmed Wednesday.

“The last time we saw anything similar was two years ago on the Fourth of July,” Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a NORAD spokesman, told the Free Beacon.

Capt. Davis said the latest Bear H incursions began Monday around 4:30 p.m. Pacific time, when radar detected the four turboprop-powered bombers approaching the U.S. air defense zone near the far western Aleutian Islands.

Two U.S. Air Force F-22 jets were scrambled and intercepted the bombers over the Aleutians.

After tracking the bombers as they flew eastward, two of the four Bears turned around and headed west toward the Russian Far East. The bombers are believed to be based at the Russian strategic base near Anadyr, Russia.

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