By WARD CLARK
On September 24, 2025, the United States scrambled fighters, four tankers, and an E-3 early-warning aircraft. The deployment intercepted two Russian Tu-95 ‘Bear’ bombers flying in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
This is not a new move. Russia (formerly the Soviet Union during the Cold War) regularly tested the ADIZ with aircraft or warships in ‘freedom of navigation’ exercises. The ADIZ is an area of international airspace adjacent to U.S. and Canadian sovereign airspace. Operating in it is not the same as violating sovereign airspace but such activity is provocative and is monitored and intercepted by NORAD.
The United States did the same to the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Now, with the rise of ‘Tsar Vladimir’ Putin, and tension with China building, the old Cold War games are being played again, with the same intent as before—to test our defenses. According to public news reports, ADIZ incursions resumed in 2007 and have fluctuated annually, with NORAD tracking 12 such flights in 2024. At least nine flights have occurred in 2025 so far—including four in one week in August and a joint patrol with Chinese bombers in July.
As Alaskans, we are concerned about this because of the proximity of a Russian-built, nuclear-capable bomber to our homes and businesses. The Bear is old, slow, and essentially defenseless, but it can carry nuclear-tipped cruise missiles.
Alaska is one of the most strategic locations on the planet. General Billy Mitchell said as much all the way back in 1935, and it still holds true today. Whoever holds Alaska can control the Pacific basin, at least north of the Equator. The United States’ control of Alaska and Hawaii gives it command of the entire Pacific.
That is why Russia—and China—are testing us. Expect it to continue.
Ward Clark is a freelance journalist for Alaska Gold Communications, Inc., the parent company of Must Read Alaska. He hails from Alaska’s Susitna Valley, where he maintains his rural household in one of America’s last free places. Ward is a twelve-year veteran of the U.S. Army, an author, novelist, and self-employed small businessman.
The ADIZ is not U.S. or Canadian territory but a designated stretch of international airspace that borders the sovereign airspace of the United States and Canada.
It is logical Russia would monitor Alaska as our government has been expanding an aggressive NATO east since 1991 creating an existential threat to the national security of Russia.
We started a hot war by building up the largest NATO commanded, armed and funded military in Ukraine and unleashing it to create violent mayhem against its’ own citizens based on ethnicity.
Which despite the fact that half the citizens in that pathetic, corrupt and destroyed newly constructed “country” voted to leave and rejoin the nation of their historical allegiance.
We deploy our CIA and military servicemen as contract mercinaries into a foreign, non NATO country to complete the kill chains of advanced long range missiles and drones into Russia. Our generals command the entire military operations from Wisebaden, Germany and our CIA plans, funds and commands terror attacks in Russia.
We have the economically and socially failed, despotic European vassal states threaten war and violence against Russia adding to the global instability.
Instead of solving the war and ending our funding and support, Trump broke one of his primary campaign promises and continues it unabated.
Great article! I suppose it’s not surprising that the federal government owns between 60-65% of Alaska’s land? I wonder just how many secret facilities might be out there, on all that ’empty’ land? Hope that ‘Tsar Vlad’ and his decrepit turbo-prop bombers never have to find out!
Low-tier Boomer perspective.
From a country that has a president who’s political opponents “disappear”, Imagine that. Too bad Biden sold out his country. I can think of another place to “plant” a nuclear warhead.