Canada And The U.S. Put 12 Planes In The Air To Intercept Russian Bombers

• 12.03.2026, 18:51

The escort was a demonstration of combat readiness.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command was forced to put 12 U.S. and Canadian aircraft in the sky at once to escort two Russian Tu-142 anti-submarine bombers, according to The National Interest.

Two F-35A Lighting IIs, two F-22 Raptors, four KC-135 Stratotanker refuelers, one E-3 Sentry long-range radar detection and control aircraft, as well as two Canadian CF-18 Hornet fighter jets and a CC-150 Polaris refueler were airborne. All this time the Tu-142s were in the air.

The authors of the material considered such a serious escort as a demonstration of US combat readiness, despite the ongoing conflict with Iran.