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Reckless Russian Fighter Pilot Swoops Past F16 Mid-Intercept
Published 1 month ago
This footage comes from an incident which occurred on 23 September 2024, wherein Russian aircraft were detected in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). It's important to note that the ADIZ is international airspace, and these sorts of intercepts happen fairly routinely. What is _not_ routine, however, is the behavior of the Russian Su-35 fighter pilot shown here. He swoops between the Russian Tu-95MS (NATO: "Bear") and the intercepting American F-16, coming within feet of the fighter. It is reminiscent of the reckless flying exhibited by Chinese pilots last year. The aggression shown here prompted a fast, week-long deployment to (relatively) nearby Shemya Island (Eareckson Air Station) for approximately 130 soldiers and their SAM batteries.