{"id":53192,"date":"2020-03-11T16:13:36","date_gmt":"2020-03-11T16:13:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/03\/11\/intercepted-russian-reconnaissance-aircraft-were-watching-us-submarines-during-icex\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T02:37:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T02:37:50","slug":"intercepted-russian-reconnaissance-aircraft-were-watching-us-submarines-during-icex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/03\/11\/intercepted-russian-reconnaissance-aircraft-were-watching-us-submarines-during-icex\/","title":{"rendered":"Intercepted Russian reconnaissance aircraft were watching US submarines during ICEX"},"content":{"rendered":"
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American and Canadian fighter jets escorted two Russian surveillance planes in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone recently.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

The commander of U.S. Northern Command told lawmakers on Capitol Hill Wednesday that a pair of Russian reconnaissance aircraft <\/a>intercepted by U.S. and Canadian jets March 9 were loitering around a U.S. submarine exercise known as ICEX.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air Force Gen. Terrence J. O\u2019Shaughnessy told lawmakers during a House Armed Services Committee hearing that the Russian aircraft <\/a>were \u201coperating in one of our ICEX exercises we had where submarines actually pop up out of the ice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

O\u2019Shaughnessy said the Russian aircraft loitered about 2,500 feet above a camp that was built for the submarine exercise. He said the Russian aircraft \u201cloitered\u201d with an F-22 and and F-18 on their wing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

North American Aerospace Defense Command said its aircraft intercepted two Russian Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance aircraft near Alaska on March 9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NORAD said Tuesday that the Russian aircraft came within 50 nautical miles of Alaskan coast and remained within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone over international airspace for roughly four hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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North American Aerospace Defense Command F-22s, CF-18s, supported by KC-135 Stratotanker and E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft, intercepted two Russian Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance aircraft entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone on Monday, March 9th. (NORAD)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Russian aircraft were escorted the entire duration of the flight in the ADIZ by NORAD\u2019s F-22s and CF-18s, which were supported by a KC-135 Stratotanker and E-3 Sentry aircraft, a news release detailed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Russian aircraft never entered U.S. or Canadian airspace and remained over the Beaufort Sea, NORAD said in a release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ICEX<\/a> is a three-week biennial exercise that allows the U.S. to assess the readiness of its submarines to operate in the Arctic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two submarines, the Seawolf-class fast-attack submarine Connecticut and the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine Toledo, are participating in this year\u2019s ICEX.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ICEX officially kicked off March 4 following the creation of a temporary camp known as Seadragon. The camp is built on a multi-year ice flow in the Arctic and supports people participating in the exercise and serves as a temporary command post for the exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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USS Toledo (SSN-769) arrives at Ice Camp Seadragon on the Arctic Ocean kicking off Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2020. (MC1 Michael B. Zingaro\/Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

ICEX 2020 is the 96th iteration of the training event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Arctic is a potential strategic corridor between Indo-Pacific, Europe, and the U.S. homeland for expanded competition,” Vice Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander of Submarine Forces, said in a news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Submarine Force must maintain readiness by exercising in Arctic conditions to ensure they can protect national security interests and maintain favorable balances of power in the Indo-Pacific and Europe if called upon,\u201d Caudle said in the release.<\/p>\n\n\n\t