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Russian fighter jet flies within feet of US F-16 in Alaska: Video

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The U.S. military has released new video showing a Russian fighter jet flying dangerously close to a U.S. Air Force F-16 during an intercept mission near Alaska. The footage, captured on Sept. 23, shows a Russian Su-35 fighter jet swooping just feet from the U.S. aircraft, an encounter military officials have described as “unsafe and unprofessional.”

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The incident occurred in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone, a region just beyond U.S. sovereign airspace where approaching aircraft are monitored.

Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command, condemned the Russian pilot’s actions, stating the maneuver endangered everyone involved.

Guillot added that the U.S. F-16 pilots followed safe and disciplined procedures during the interception.

While Russian officials have not responded to the incident, this is the latest in a series of military encounters between U.S. and Russian forces near Alaska.

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These encounters have drawn increasing attention as Russia steps up its military activities in the region. Just weeks before, Russian planes and naval vessels, including submarines, were spotted near Alaska during joint exercises with China.

Although none of the Russian aircraft entered U.S. airspace, the frequency of these incursions has raised concerns among U.S. officials.

In response, about 130 U.S. soldiers and mobile rocket launchers were temporarily deployed to Shemya Island in the Aleutian chain earlier this year.

Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, R, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized the Russian jet’s maneuver, calling it reckless and unprofessional.

He urged for an increased U.S. military presence in Alaska and the arctic as a deterrent to growing Russian aggression in the region.

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[Craig Nigrelli]

NEWLY RELEASED FOOTAGE SHOWS A RUSSIAN FIGHTER JET FLYING DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO A U.S. AIR FORCE F-16 NEAR ALASKA DURING ANINTERCEPT MISSION ON SEPTEMBER 23RD . THE VIDEO CAPTURES THE RUSSIAN SU-35 SWOOPING JUST FEET FROM THE AMERICAN AIRCRAFT—AN ENCOUNTER MILITARY OFFICIALS HAVE CALLED “UNSAFE AND UNPROFESSIONAL.”

NORAD CONDEMNED THE RUSSIAN PILOT’S BEHAVIOR, SAYING IT ENDANGERED EVERYONE INVOLVED AND WASN’T INDICATIVE OF A PROFESSIONAL AIR FORCE. THE U.S. JET WAS PART OF A ROUTINE MISSION INTERCEPTING RUSSIAN MILITARY AIRCRAFT IN THE ALASKA AIR DEFENSE IDENTIFICATION ZONE, AN AREA JUST BEYOND U.S. SOVEREIGN AIRSPACE.

RUSSIAN OFFICIALS HAVE NOT YET COMMENTED ON THE INCIDENT, WHICH IS THE LATEST IN A SERIES OF CONFRONTATIONS RAISING ALARM OVER GROWING MILITARY POSTURING IN THE REGION.

THIS CLOSE ENCOUNTER COMES AFTER A STRING OF RECENT RUSSIAN MILITARY ACTIVITIES NEAR ALASKA, INCLUDING JOINT DRILLS WITH CHINA. JUST WEEKS EARLIER, RUSSIAN PLANES AND NAVAL VESSELS, INCLUDING TWO SUBMARINES, APPROACHED THE REGION, HEIGHTENING TENSIONS.

WHILE NO RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT ENTERED U.S. AIRSPACE, THE FREQUENCY OF THESE INCURSIONS HAS GROWN, DRAWING CONCERN.

ALASKA SENATOR DAN SULLIVAN CALLED THE MANEUVER RECKLESS AND STRESSED THE NEED TO BOLSTER U.S. MILITARY PRESENCE IN ALASKA AND THE ARCTIC AS RUSSIAN AGGRESSION INTENSIFIES.

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