Putin in Alaska: Why Did the American F_22 Fighters Appear to Greet Him?

Alaska witnessed an official reception for Russian President Vladimir Putin by his American counterpart Donald Trump, where advanced American warplanes flew in the sky, most notably the B_2 "stealth" and F_35, in addition to the presence of F_22 "Raptor" fighter jets lined up along the red carpet near the runway.

The F_22 jets are among the most advanced fighters in the U.S. Air Force, and they are the same model routinely used to intercept Russian aircraft flying near the shores of Alaska.

These fighters are usually stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, where they are frequently launched to intercept Russian bombers and fighter jets approaching the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), which extends about 200 miles off the state's western coast.

Although this area is technically considered international airspace, it forms an important security barrier that begins where U.S. sovereign airspace ends, requiring rapid identification of all aircraft for national security reasons, as explained by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

NORAD does not always send fighters to intercept Russian aircraft; sometimes it is sufficient to monitor and track their movements.

The last time Russian military aircraft were spotted within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone was on July 22, according to a press release from the U.S. Air Defense Command.

It is worth noting that the United States is the only country operating F_22 aircraft, with about 165 fighters of this type, while 19 other countries rely on F_35 fighters manufactured by Lockheed Martin.

This display of F_22 aircraft during Putin's reception underscores the importance of the role these fighters play in monitoring and securing Alaska's strategic airspace amid ongoing tensions between the two great powers.