Russian Sukhoi conducts ‘unsafe' manoeuvre during intercept near Alaska

A video from one of the intercepting F-16s shows a Russian Su-35 conducting an “unsafe and unprofessional manoeuvre” off the coast of Alaska. (NORAD)

A Russian Sukhoi Su-35 conducted what the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) termed as an “unsafe and unprofessional” manoeuvre near a US fighter aircraft off the coast of Alaska on 23 September.

On that date NORAD detected and tracked a group of four Russian aircraft, including at least one Tupolev Tu-95 Bear and one Su-35, entering the US Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) near Alaska. US Lockheed Martin F-16s were scrambled to intercept and escort the Russian aircraft.

“Incursions of the Alaska ADIZ by Russian military aircraft occur regularly and are not seen as a threat,” NORAD told Janes on 30 September. “Since Russia resumed long-range aviation activities in 2007, the number of incursions fluctuate annually, but we have seen as many as 15 in one year and as low as zero.”

Although no mention was made at the time of an unsafe intercept, on 29 September NORAD released a video of a Su-35 conducting a close, high-speed flyby off the left side of one of the F-16s, which elicited an exclamation from the pilot and an immediate right turn.

“NORAD aircraft flew a safe and disciplined intercept of Russian military aircraft in the Alaskan ADIZ,” NORAD Commander General Gregory Guillot said in a social media post. “The conduct of one Russian Su-35 was unsafe, unprofessional, and endangered all – not what you'd see in a professional air force.”