U.S. and Canadian forces scrambled fighter jets on Tuesday after the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected Russian military aircraft operating in the Alaskan and Canadian Air Defense Identification Zones.

The Russian warplanes were tracked as they flew near North American airspace, according to military officials. NORAD, the joint U.S.-Canadian command responsible for aerospace warning and control, monitors the Air Defense Identification Zones as buffer areas extending beyond national airspace.

Fighter aircraft from both nations were deployed to intercept and track the Russian planes as part of standard defensive protocols. The zones serve as early warning areas where aircraft must be identified before approaching sovereign airspace.

Such incidents involving Russian military aircraft near North American airspace occur periodically, with NORAD typically responding by scrambling interceptor jets to monitor and escort the foreign aircraft. The encounters are generally considered routine military activities rather than direct threats to national security.

Neither U.S. nor Canadian officials immediately provided details about the specific type of Russian aircraft involved or the exact location where they were detected within the defense identification zones.