(CNN) — The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) apparently intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers near Alaska for the primary time on Wednesday. the 2 countries were intercepted throughout the joint operation.
The bombers remained in international airspace in Alaska's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and were “not considered a threat,” NORAD said in an announcement.
The US and Canada, which together form NORAD, intercepted the Russian TU-95 Bear and the Chinese H-6 bombers. The planes didn’t enter the sovereign airspace of the US or Canada, NORAD said.
Russian flights into Alaska's ADIZ should not unusual. In May, 4 Russian aircraft flew into Alaska's ADIZ, which NORAD said was a “regular occurrence” on the time.
But the presence of Chinese aircraft appears to be a brand new development. In March, General Gregory Guillot, commander of the US Northern Command, said China was pushing further north into the Arctic and he expected to see aircraft there “possibly this year”.
“I have seen the willingness and desire of the Chinese to operate up there,” Guillot said at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “We have seen them at sea. We have seen them under the guise of technical or scientific research, but we believe that these are definitely multi-mission operations that also include military tasks. And then I expect air activities in the Arctic part of Alaska possibly later this year.”
“This worries me greatly,” he said.
China sees itself as an “Arctic recreational area” and is working to expand its presence within the far north, including through cooperation with Russia.
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