The intercept was carried out as the Russian Tu-95MS bombers and their escorting fighters transited the Alaskan ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone). On Feb. 19, 2026, the U.S. Air Force launched two F-16s, two F-35s, one E-3, and four KC-135s tankers to “intercept, positively identify, and escort the aircraft until they departed the Alaskan ADIZ.” […]