The Russian Ilyushin Il-20M, NATO code-named “COOT-A,” is a Soviet-era, four-engine turboprop, long-range patrol plane, designed to carry out reconnaissance and electronic-intelligence (ELINT) gathering missions. If you were a Russian commander and looking for information as to what the United States was up to around and off the Alaskan coast, this is just the airplane you’d send to trail its coat down the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) to see how the Americans react.
That’s just what the Russians did on Tuesday.
U.S. military fighter jets were scrambled on Tuesday to track a Russian spy plane detected flying near Alaska, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said.
It was the fourth time in less than a week that the military command has detected and tracked a Russian IL-20 COOT, a Cold War-era reconnaissance aircraft, in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), a stretch of international airspace that requires the ready identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security, according to NORAD.
The same type of Russian aircraft flew over the region on Aug. 20, Aug. 21 and Aug. 24, the military command said.
In each of the four instances, NORAD responded with its own fighter jets to track the spy plane.
It’s an old Cold War game, and make no mistake, we do it to them, too. It’s of a type with “freedom of navigation” exercises in the navies, where one side sends a task group somewhere where the other side doesn’t like it – like, say, a United States Navy group going down the Taiwan Strait. In this case, they flew down, near the Alaskan coast, but carefully remained in international airspace.
PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. – The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected and tracked one IL-20 COOT operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Aug. 26, 2025.
NORAD responded with an E-3, two F-16s, and one KC-135 tanker to… pic.twitter.com/8k1S1bqD1w— North American Aerospace Defense Command (@NORADCommand) August 27, 2025
The NORAD press release states in part:
NORAD responded with an E-3, two F-16s, and one KC-135 tanker to positively identify the Russian aircraft in the Alaskan ADIZ.
The Russian military aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace. This Russian activity in the Alaskan ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat.
And this time, once again, the Russian played by the rules – such as they are.
Yes, they are gathering intel on us, our operations, our reactions. And yes, they are poking us to see how we’ll react. Two F-16s with a Sentry and a tanker in support are a pretty good response. If this were a real situation, as in a wartime situation, all those poor Russian intel weenies would have time to do is radio their base, “Dasvidaniya, Rodina” before getting splashed. Of course, if it were real, they’d have escorts. They’ve practiced that, too.
Read More: Provocations: Russian, Chinese Military Aircraft Intercepted Off Alaskan Coast
America’s Pacific Allies Scramble Interceptors in Response to Russian, Chinese Bomber Sorties
It does seem, though, that the Russians have picked up the pace in the past few months.
— #WeHaveTheWatch —
On Feb. 18 & 19, 2025, @NORADCommand F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft positively identified and intercepted 2 Russian Tu-95 and 2 Su-35 military aircraft in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) remaining in international airspace west of AK. pic.twitter.com/yamTxXz7fY
— Alaskan NORAD Region and Alaskan Command (@ANRALCOM) February 21, 2025
It’s an old game, it’s a Cold War game, but the underlying reasons for it are deadly serious: If you’re going to fight someone, it’s important to first learn all you can about them. How they operate, where they operate, what their capabilities are, and how aggressive they’ll be. That’s why the Russians and the Chinese do this to us. And, yeah, that’s why we do it to them.
This, as always, seems appropriate.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
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