Last week, six Russian military aircraft were intercepted by United States F-16 and F-22 fighter jets, KC-135 Stratotankers, and E-3 airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft near Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) reported that the Russian aircraft operated in international airspace and did not enter the United States or Canada’s sovereign airspace. Intercepts like this are regular, with NORAD seeing about six to seven such incidents each year since 2007. Although NORAD did not view the Russian aircraft as a threat, it remains at the ready to take action in defense of North America and Arctic sovereignty. Ties between the United States and Russia have been strained, with the United States providing consistent military support for the Ukrainian government in its fight against Russian forces, and the Biden administration recently announcing an additional $1.2 billion in military aid to Ukraine.