US intercepted over 60 aircraft in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone annually
The U.S. Air Force was under”strain” with a Growing Number of Russian aircraft that it is needing to intercept off the coast of North America.
“We have certainly seen an increase in Russian activity,” Krumm said. “We intercepted over 60 aircraft last year… We track more than that.”
That would indicate the most interactions from the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone — that spans 200 nautical miles to international airspace — since the fall of the Soviet Union, according to an Air Force Times report.
Krumm serves as the mind of U.S. Northern Command’s Alaska Branch, NORAD’s darkened region as well as the 11th Air Force under Pacific Air Forces, providing him an unparalleled understanding of the situation.
“While there’s a strain on our components, I will tell you that they’re managing it very, very effectively,” Krumm added.
The Air Force fulfills any Russian components with F-22s, however, Krumm suggested the branch may be open to utilizing other types of jets. Russia has reportedly been advancing its own bomber fleets and other long-lived aircraft, forcing the U.S. Defense Department to consider its alternatives for modernizing its infrastructure.
Various satellites, radars and other sensors will be tested at an upcoming Northern Edge exercise in May, along with new fighters like the F-15EX Eagle II.
