A Russian IL-20 COOT spy plane has been tracked near Alaska for the fourth time in less than a week. This has caused the United States to repeatedly scramble its fighter jets. The recent detections started on August 20, with more instances on August 21, August 24, and the most recent one on Tuesday. Every time, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, known as NORAD, has sent its own aircraft to monitor the Russian reconnaissance plane.
According to Fox News, these repeated actions are not considered a direct threat by NORAD, but they highlight the military posturing in a region that has major geopolitical importance. This is especially true in light of recent diplomatic talks between the United States and Russia. The incidents happened within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone, which is a designated area of international airspace where aircraft are expected to be identified for national security reasons.
