Close shave between Russian fighter jet and US F-16

Military officials released new video on Monday of a close encounter between a Russian fighter jet and a US Air Force F-16 interceptor near Alaska, Associated Press has reported.

The video shows the Russian plane swooping by the US jet, just feet away, during the incident on September 23. The US pilot was under the direction of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

The close encounter came amid a series of Russian incursions into the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), just beyond US sovereign airspace.

NORAD's top officer and a US senator condemned the Russian pilot's actions.

"The conduct of one Russian Su-35 was unsafe, unprofessional, and endangered all -- not what you'd see in a professional air force," said Gen Gregory Guillot, commander of NORAD and US Northern Command has been quoted as saying by AP. He added that the NORAD aircraft flew "a safe and disciplined" routine to intercept the Russian aircraft.  

A message sent to the Russian embassy by AP seeking comment was not immediately returned.

The close pass of the Russian jet occurred weeks after eight Russian military planes and four naval vessels approached Alaska. China and Russia were conducting joint drills at the time.

None of the Russian planes breached US airspace. However, about 130 US soldiers were sent to Shemya Island, southwest of Anchorage, as a precaution.

In July, Russian and Chinese bombers flew together in international airspace off Alaska, a sign of cooperation that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said raised concerns.

In 2022, a US Coast Guard ship encountered three Chinese and four Russian naval vessels sailing in formation near Alaska's Kiska Island.

US Senator Dan Sullivan, a Republican member of the US Senate Armed Services Committee, said the close pass of the Russian jet underscores the need to increase America's military presence in Alaska and the Arctic.

"The reckless and unprofessional maneuvers of Russian fighter pilots... put the lives of our brave Airmen at risk and underscore the escalating aggression we're witnessing from dictators like Vladimir Putin," Sullivan said in a statement, AP has reported.