North American Aerospace Defense Command announced on Friday that was positively identified two Russian Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers entering the Canadian Air Defense Identification Zone on Jan. 31, 2020.
“The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter United States or Canadian sovereign airspace,” the NORAD message states.
NORAD is a binational command focused on the defense of both the U.S. and Canada, the response to potential aerospace threats does not distinguish between the two nations, and draws on forces from both countries.
“Our adversaries continue to flex their long-range weapons systems and engage in increasingly aggressive efforts, to include the approaches to the United States and Canada,” said Gen. O’Shaughnessy, NORAD Commander. “NORAD is driven by a single unyielding priority: defending the U.S. and Canada, our homelands, from attack.”
NORAD employs a layered defense network of radars, satellites, and fighter aircraft to identify aircraft and determine the appropriate response. The identification and monitoring of aircraft entering a US or Canadian ADIZ demonstrates how NORAD executes its aerospace warning and aerospace control missions for the United States and Canada.
NORAD positively identified two Tu-160 Blackjack Russian Bombers entering the Canadian Air Defense Identification Zone on Friday, Jan. 31, 2020. The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter United States or Canadian sovereign airspace. 1/3
— North American Aerospace Defense Command (@NORADCommand) January 31, 2020