US, Canada Intercept Russian, Chinese Bombers As Biden Steps Aside
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
MOSCOW/BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – Russian and Chinese fighter jets tested American weaknesses and nearly violated U.S. airspace as the visibly frail U.S. President Joe Biden announced he was passing the torch of power to the next generation.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) confirmed Thursday that the United States and Canada scrambled fighter jets after two Russian and two Chinese military planes were tracked in the international airspace close to Alaska.
“NORAD detected, tracked, and intercepted two Russian Tu-95 and two PRC H-6 military aircraft operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on July 24, 2024. NORAD fighter jets from the United States and Canada conducted the intercept,” the statement said.
It came as the 81-year-old U.S. President Joe Biden spoke for the first time about his landmark decision to end his reelection bid, saying “saving our democracy” was “more important than any title.”
Speaking from the Oval Office from the White House, he added, “The best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That is the best way to unite our nation.”
Yet, with the commander-in-chief preparing for the exits and recovering from COVID-19 amid other health issues, America’s main rivals, Russia and China, increased their pressure by challenging American forces.
The “air defense identification zone” (ADIZ) where they flew is a stretch of international airspace that acts as a buffer zone where the U.S. and Canadian national airspace ends.
NATIONAL SECURITY
NORAD clarified that all aircraft entering the ADIZ require identification for national security reasons.
The presence of the Russian and Chinese planes was “not seen as a threat” since they remained in international airspace and did not violate U.S. or Canadian sovereign airspace, NORAD said.
However, the timing seemed remarkable, as it almost happened simultaneously with Biden announcing he would step aside.
NORAD stressed that it will “continue to monitor competitor activity near North America and meet presence with presence.”
Russia has long had a military presence in the North Pacific.
Yet, while intercepts of Russian planes happened before in the area, Chinese warplanes suggested that the United States would face more potentially hostile aircraft.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that the Russian and Chinese warplanes conducted a “joint patrol over the Chukchi Sea, the Bering Sea, and the northern part of the Pacific Ocean” and “worked out issues of interaction at all stages of air patrolling.”
ACTING STRICTLY
The ministry said they “acted strictly in accordance with the provisions of international law,” and there were “no violations of the airspace of foreign states.”
China’s Defense Ministry tried to downplay the incident, saying the joint flight was “not aimed at a third party.”
Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang said the action “has nothing to do with the current international and regional situation.
The maneuver “tests and enhances the level of cooperation between the two air forces,” Zhang added.
Russia and China have deepened their political, military, and economic cooperation since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
An intercept refers to visual or electronic contact by NORAD aircraft of foreign planes.
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