US increases troops in Alaska amid Russian military activity in the region

Images released by the US Department of Defense show US fighter jets following Russian military aircraft in the Alaskan air defense identification zone on July 24.

Photo: US Department of Defense

The move comes after eight Russian military aircraft and four Russian naval vessels, including two submarines, approached Alaska last week.

No enemy aircraft violated U.S. airspace during the incident. However, naval vessels, including submarines, entered a buffer zone off the coast of Alaska while avoiding icebergs, according to CBS News citing a statement from the U.S. Coast Guard on September 17.

In response to the above developments, the US Army announced that it was sending troops to Shemya Island, about 1,930 km from Anchorage. This island is uninhabited and the US Air Force still maintains an air station that dates back to World War II. The deployed army unit brought with it two High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).

President Putin issued a decree, the size of the Russian army surpasses that of the US

Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan also said the US military also deployed a guided-missile destroyer and a US Coast Guard ship to the waters west of Alaska while Russia and China conducted military exercises called "Ocean-24" in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans from September 10.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said it had detected and tracked Russian military aircraft around Alaska for four consecutive days. A total of two aircraft appeared in the area continuously from September 11 to 15.

Aircraft operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone, an area outside U.S. airspace but within U.S. airspace, are required to identify themselves.

Russia has not yet responded to a request for comment on the above information.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/my-tang-quan-o-alaska-trong-luc-nga-hoat-dong-quan-su-tai-khu-vuc-185240918082352945.htm