A close encounter between a Russian Su-35 and a U.S. F-16 over the Alaskan approaches has pushed a long-running cat-and-mouse game into far more dangerous territory. According to North American Aerospace Defense Command, the Russian fighter cut directly across the American jet’s nose while shadowing a Tu-95 nuclear-capable bomber, coming so close that the F-16’s cockpit video shows a jarring shudder as it flies through the disturbed air. The incident, which NORAD labeled “unsafe and unprofessional,” underscores how routine intercepts of Russian aircraft near Alaska can veer toward crisis when one pilot decides to test the limits.
The confrontation unfolded as a U.S. Air Force F-16, operating under NORAD control, moved in to identify and monitor a formation that included the Tu-95 and its Su-35 escort inside the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone. What should have been a textbook intercept instead turned into a near miss, with the Russian jet maneuvering aggressively in front of the American fighter at a distance U.S. officials estimate at roughly 50 feet, a margin that leaves almost no room for error at high speed.
The “headbutt” that turned a routine intercept into a near miss
From NORAD’s perspective, the most alarming part of the encounter was not that Russian bombers and escorts were in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone, but that a single Su-35 pilot chose to treat a professional intercept like a personal duel. The U.S. Air Force F-16 was already in position, flying a standard profile under the direction of the North American Aerospace Defense Command when the Russian fighter abruptly crossed its flight path in what U.S. officials have described as a “headbutt” style maneuver. That description tracks with detailed accounts of how the Russian Fighter Cuts F-16 in an “Unsafe” Move During Intercept, with NORAD stressing that the American jet had been following established procedures.
Video released by the U.S. military shows just how little separation there was between the two aircraft. A North American Aerospace clip, recorded from inside the F-16 cockpit, captures the Su-35 slicing across the nose and the American jet jolting as it hits the wake. NORAD later emphasized that the U.S. pilot maintained control and that the Russian aircraft remained in international airspace, but labeled the Su-35’s behavior “unsafe and unprofessional conduct” that could have led to a collision.
How close is too close at 35,000 feet?
In raw numbers, the separation between the two fighters was shockingly small. Analysts who reviewed the footage say the Russian Su-35 came within about 50 feet of the American jet’s nose, a distance that might sound generous on the ground but is razor thin when two fighters are closing at hundreds of knots. The same analysis notes that the Russian Su-35’s pass occurred at an altitude around 35,000 feet, a regime where thin air and high speed magnify the effect of wake turbulence. In the cockpit video, the F-16’s nose can be seen wobbling from left to right as the American pilot flies through the disturbed air, a motion that matches descriptions in another account of the American fighter reacting to the Russian jet’s wake.
From airmanship and safety perspectives, that margin is far outside what professional militaries consider acceptable during intercepts. NORAD routinely sends fighters to meet and shadow Russian aircraft near Alaska, and those missions usually unfold with a respectful buffer between jets. In this case, cockpit footage shared through a View of the incident near Alaska shows the Russian fighter zooming so close that it briefly fills the F-16’s canopy, a visual that underlines why NORAD’s Commander later publicly described the behavior as “Unsafe and Unprofessional Conduct” by a Russian Fighter off Alaska.
NORAD’s well-practiced playbook for Russian bombers near Alaska
To understand why this particular intercept stands out, it helps to look at how often NORAD deals with Russian aircraft in the same region without drama. The command’s own Press Releases describe a steady pattern of Russian flights in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone, often involving Tu-95 bombers and supporting aircraft. In those cases, a North American Aerospace Defense Command F-16 Fighting Falcon typically launches from Alaska, identifies the approaching aircraft, and then escorts them as they transit the zone, all while both sides remain in international airspace. The language is almost formulaic: NORAD stresses that the Russian flights do not pose a direct threat to North America and that the intercepts are part of routine homeland defense.
Local reporting from Alaska paints a similar picture of a well-rehearsed choreography. One account notes how a U.S. F-16 fighter jet paced a Russian formation near St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea, with the intercept described by By Tim Ellis as part of NORAD’s standard response. In that case, the formation intercepted the Russian planes and escorted them through the Air Defense ID Zone without any close passes or wake turbulence incidents, a contrast underscored when another segment from the same report explains that, according to NORAD, the formation intercepted the Russian aircraft and completed the mission without escalation.
A pattern of Russian probing flights, and a new level of risk
The Su-35’s aggressive move did not occur in isolation. Over the past several years, NORAD has documented a rising tempo of Russian activity near Alaska, including multiple bomber and reconnaissance flights that require U.S. fighters to scramble. One summary notes that it was the third time in about a month and the ninth time in a year that Russian warplanes had been detected flying near Alaska, with NORAD again stressing that the aircraft remained in international airspace. Another report describes how NORAD scrambled fighter jets on a Wednesday to identify and intercept Russian planes off Alaska, with North American Aerospace emphasizing that such intercepts are necessary for national security purposes.
There is also a broader pattern of Russian intelligence and bomber platforms pressing toward the edge of North American airspace. One recent case involved an IL-20 electronic intelligence aircraft, described as “Russian Il-20 Buzzes Alaska Again,” where Earlier interceptions had already taken place on August 20 and August 21. NORAD, formally the North American Aerospace Defense Command, used that episode to underline its mission to provide aerospace warning and aerospace control for the defense of North America, a mission that now has to account for increasingly assertive Russian escorts as well as the bombers and intelligence aircraft themselves.
Why NORAD is calling out “unsafe and unprofessional” behavior now
For years, U.S. officials have tended to treat Russian flights near Alaska as a background condition of the strategic relationship, rarely highlighting individual intercepts unless something unusual occurred. The decision to publicly release cockpit video and to label the Su-35’s maneuver as “unsafe and unprofessional” signals that NORAD sees a qualitative shift. In its detailed description of the event, the command notes that, On Sept. 23, a U.S. Air Force F-16 operating under the direction of the Air Force and North American Aerospace Defense Command was conducting a routine mission in the Alaska ADIZ when the Su-35 executed the close pass. A companion video explanation from NORAD reiterates that, On Sept, the Air Force pilot was following all applicable procedures when the Russian jet conducted an unsafe maneuver directed at the F-16.
That public messaging dovetails with a broader effort to document and deter risky behavior in international airspace. NORAD’s Commander has been explicit that the command will continue to intercept Russian aircraft near Alaska, but has also warned that behavior like the Su-35’s increases the chance of miscalculation. The pattern is visible across multiple official and semi-official accounts, from the initial description of a Move During Intercept to the later framing of the episode as part of a series of Russian Su near misses with American aircraft. Even local coverage that usually focuses on the mechanics of launches and intercepts, such as the KUAC segment that invites listeners to Listen to NORAD officials, has started to highlight the risks when Russian pilots push too close.
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