EXPLANATOR
The joint flight highlights growing military cooperation between the two countries, which has raised concerns in the United States.
The United States and Canada this week intercepted two Chinese and two Russian bombers operating in international airspace near the US state of Alaska.
It is the first time Russian and Chinese bombers are known to have flown together over the North Pacific, signaling expanding military cooperation that has raised concerns among the United States and its allies.
So what's going on and what do we know?
What happened and when?
- On Wednesday, US and Canadian fighter jets detected, tracked and intercepted two Russian Tupolev TU-95 strategic bombers and two Chinese H-6 bombers.
- The North American Aerospace Defense Command said the four bombers did not enter U.S. or Canadian sovereign airspace and were not perceived as a threat.
- At a news conference on Thursday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin described the joint bomber flights as “not a surprise” and said China and Russia may have been planning them for some time.
- The joint flight lasted more than five hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said, and the exercise prompted the United States and Canada to conduct an interception. This is an exercise in which a country flies its aircraft alongside foreign aircraft to demonstrate its defensive capabilities.
- “This is the first time we've seen these two countries fly together,” Austin said.
.@ComandoNORAD employed a layered defense network of seamlessly interoperable ground- and airborne fighter aircraft, satellites, and radars to detect, track, and intercept two Russian TU-95 and two PRC H-6 military aircraft operating in the Alaskan ADIZ on July 24, 2024. photo.twitter.com/YvG1cu31Ni
— North American Aerospace Defense Command (@NORADCommand) July 25, 2024
Where were the Russian and Chinese planes intercepted?
- The strategic bombers were detected, tracked and intercepted within Alaska's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
- An ADIZ is an area larger than the airspace claimed by an individual state and is considered international airspace. Unlike sovereign airspace, ADIZs are not recognised by international law or overseen by any international body.
- According to the United States, the closest point of approach was about 320 kilometers (200 miles) off its coast.
- The Russian Defense Ministry said the crews conducted an air patrol over the Chukchi Sea, the Bering Sea and the northern part of the Pacific Ocean.
What are the Russian TU-95 and the Chinese H-6?
- Both are Soviet-designed strategic bombers from the Cold War era. The Russian TU-95 is the only propeller-driven strategic bomber still in service today.
- Both are capable of carrying nuclear payloads and theoretically have unlimited range thanks to in-flight refueling. Currently, their upgrades allow them to use cruise missiles and other precision-guided munitions.
- The Xi'an H-6 is based on the Soviet-era Tupolev-16.
Why was this joint flight important?
- The joint exercise represents a further expansion of military cooperation between the two countries. Although the two countries do not have a defence treaty, they have been working together for years.
- Both countries conducted their first strategic bomber patrol in 2019, and military exercises have become more frequent since then. This is the first time both countries have flown close to the United States.
- “China is enhancing its capabilities to play effective strategic games with the United States and maintain strategic stability,” Shen Yi, a professor of international politics at Fudan University in Shanghai, wrote in a column, according to The Associated Press.
- “As this system continuously improves, it will be able to effectively deter the United States,” Yi added.
- Asked Thursday whether the interception was a case of Russia and China “testing” the United States, Austin said the two countries “are constantly testing us.”
- The United States has previously expressed concern about growing cooperation between China and Russia near the Arctic region, arguing that this could threaten regional stability.
What have been the reactions?
- Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan in a statement described the flights as an “escalation.”
- “Alaska remains on the front line of authoritarian aggression from dictators in Russia and China, who are increasingly working together,” Sullivan said, urging the United States to improve its military capabilities and infrastructure needed to counter the two countries in the Arctic.
Today, @ComandoNORAD intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers operating in Alaska's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
Alaska remains on the front line of authoritarian aggression by dictators from Russia and China, who are increasingly collaborating.…
— Senator Dan Sullivan (@SenDanSullivan) July 25, 2024
- Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang said this was the eighth strategic air cruise organized by the two militaries since 2019.
- “The operation does not target a third party, is in line with international law and practice and has nothing to do with the current international and regional situation,” Zhang said during the ministry's monthly press conference.
- According to a report by the U.S. Naval Institute, the Russian Defense Ministry referred to the site of Wednesday's flight as a new joint operations zone, indicating that the countries plan to regularly conduct such activities in the North Pacific and the Bering Sea, near U.S. territory.
