The US Air Force (Air Force) divisions of the United States are seriously loaded due to the frequent flights of Russian Tu-95 off the coast of Alaska. This is reported by the publication Popular Mechanics.
So, according to the newspaper, in five years the number of interceptions of Russian aircraft near the coast of Alaska has grown six times: from 10 in 2015 to 60 in 2020. In most cases, the flights of the air-space forces (VKS) of Russia in the buffer zone around the US state are training, in addition, they are carried out on legal grounds and does not violate the air borders of the United States. However, the military still has to raise their aircraft to accompany Russian aircraft as part of the operation to protect the airspace of the country “Noble Eagle”, which has been operating since September 11, 2001, complain of the US Air Force.
As explained by the portal 19FortyFive Lieutenant David Kramm, usually Americans have to use F-22 Raptor fighters, long-range detection aircraft E-3, as well as tanning aircraft. At the same time, each similar maneuver increases the burden on American crews. Currently, the US Air Force command is already considering several options for how to facilitate the work of its pilots in Alaska. In particular, the possibility of sending F-16 fighters to the region, whose characteristics will also be allowed to intercept Tu-95.
In April, the head of the Northern Command of the United States (Northcom), General of the Air Force Glen Wang Herk, said that Russian military aircraft were circling for hours in airspace near the borders of the American state of Alaska. He noted that the Russian military usually use several types of aircraft in the identification zone of Alaska airfall and make several goals.