Ocean 2024: 400 Russian and Chinese Navy Ships Flex Power as Aircraft Enter Alaska ADIZ

This past weekend, Russian military aircraft repeatedly entered the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) while Russian and Chinese People Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) forces conducted major joint drills in the Pacific under Ocean 2024, a colossal display of naval strength aimed squarely at sending a message to the West. During the drills North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected Russian aircraft operating in the Alaska air defense identification zone (ADIZ) airspace.

Routine Flybys or a New Reality?

From Friday to Sunday, the North American Aerospace Defense Command tracked Russian military planes, including Tu-142s and IL-38s, as they operated in the Alaska ADIZ. While these aircraft never entered U.S. or Canadian airspace, NORAD downplayed the events, calling them routine.

“The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace.,” said NORAD. “This Russian activity in the Alaska ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat.”

NORAD did not release images or confirm any intercepts, though one can imagine U.S. fighter jets on standby, ready for action. This isn’t just an isolated incident — it’s part of a growing pattern of Russian military presence in sensitive zones, a clear signal that they’re not going anywhere.

“How long can we dismiss these repeated flybys as standard procedure?” a senior US Navy officer told gCaptain in response to the report. “Especially with Russia flexing its naval muscles in the Pacific at the same time.”

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected and tracked two Russian IL-38 military aircraft operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Sept. 15, 2024.

The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or…

— North American Aerospace Defense Command (@NORADCommand) September 16, 2024

Ocean 2024: Russia and China’s Joint Show of Strength

Meanwhile, USNI News reports the Russian Navy wrapped up Ocean 2024, one of the largest naval exercises we’ve seen in years. Over 400 warships, submarines, and support vessels took part, along with 120 naval aircraft and 90,000 personnel from Russia’s Northern, Baltic, and Pacific fleets, along with the Caspian Flotilla. This isn’t just saber-rattling; this is a full-blown war simulation spread across the Pacific, Arctic, Mediterranean, Caspian, and Baltic waters.

?? “Ocean-2024”, the first naval exercise of such a large scale over the past 30 years, was held by the Russian Armed Forces simultaneously in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, as well as in the Mediterranean, Caspian and Baltic seas. pic.twitter.com/k3jTtuI79A

— Russian Embassy in Sri Lanka (@RusEmbSriLanka) September 16, 2024

But Russia isn’t acting alone. China sent four warships, including the cruiser CNS Wuxi and destroyer CNS Xining, to join forces with the Russian Navy. Together, they formed a joint battle group in the Sea of Japan, conducting anti-aircraft, anti-submarine, and mine-clearance drills. Under joint command, the fleets repelled mock air attacks with live artillery fire, crossed mine-infested waters, and even destroyed buoyant mines.

The exercises continued through the weekend, with the Russian Ministry of Defence announcing live-fire drills involving 15 Russian warships, including the cruiser RFS Varyag and destroyers RFS Marshal Shaposhnikov and RFS Admiral Panteleyev.

What’s Next? A Power Play in the Pacific

With Russian aircraft making regular appearances in the Alaska ADIZ and joint Russian-Chinese naval drills becoming more frequent, the geopolitical stakes are rising. While NORAD and Western militaries call these activities routine, experts tell gcaptain they are part of a larger, more calculated strategy by Russia and China to project power and challenge the current balance of global naval dominance.

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