Russia, China conduct joint bomber patrol operation off US coast

Russian and Chinese military aircraft have conducted a joint flight for the first time in international airspace near Alaska.  

Two Russian Tu-95 bombers and two Chinese Xian H-6 planes flew over the waters of the Chukchi and Bering seas, with Russian fighter jets guiding them, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday in a statement.

According to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), a joint military operation between the US and Canada that defends the continent’s airspace, the Russian and Chinese aircraft did not enter American or Canadian airspace.

“During the patrol, the aircraft of both counters strictly obeyed to the provision of the international law. There has been no violation of the airspace of foreign countries,” Russia’s Ministry of Defense confirmed on Telegram.

“The patrol were conducted as part of the implementation of the 2024 military cooperation plan and is not directed against third countries,” it added.

A spokesperson from China’s Defense Ministry, Zhang Xiaogang said that it was the eighth such patrol organized by the two militaries since 2019, which was aimed at “further testing and enhancing the level of cooperation between the two air forces, as well as deepening strategic mutual trust and practical cooperation between the two countries.”

“This action is not aimed at third parties, it is in line with relevant international laws and international practices and has nothing to do with the current international and regional situation,” Zhang said.

The bombers were flying in an area known as the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone, or ADIZ.

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The five-hour-long flight raised the eyebrows of United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who expressed concerns over Beijing’s growing military cooperation with Moscow.

“This is a relationship that we have been concerned about throughout — mostly because we’re concerned about China providing support to Russia’s illegal and unnecessary war in Ukraine,” Austin told reporters.

Despite the NORAD saying that the bombers stayed in international airspace and were “not seen as a threat”, it intercepted the aircraft with US F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, as well as Canadian CF-18 fighter jets.

Moscow and Beijing recently concluded their fourth joint naval patrol in the northern and western Pacific Ocean earlier this month.