For the second day in a row, U.S. aircraft intercepted Russian bombers and fighters off the western coast of Alaska, North American Aerospace Defense Command announced Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two pairs of F-22 Raptors intercepted Russian Tu-95 bombers and Su-35 fighter jets entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone, or ADIZ, on Tuesday, but remained in international airspace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The F-22s were aided by E-3 Sentry airborne early warning and control aircraft, which provided surveillance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NORAD has intercepted an average of six to seven Russian sorties annually entering its ADIZ since the Kremlin resumed its long-range aviation patrols in 2007, U.S. officials said. Tuesday\u2019s incident came a day after a similar intercept on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These were the \u201cfourth and fifth intercepts this year,\u201d according to NORAD officials, possibly hinting at an increased operational tempo on the part of Russian forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\t