Video Shows Russian Fighter Jet ‘Headbutting’ A U.S. Air Force F-16

During the ongoing tensions between global powers, the U.S. military released footage of a high-stakes interaction between American and Russian aircraft near Alaska. The video, taken from a U.S. Air Force jet, shows the intensity of the encounter, which unfolded within international airspace near the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

On September 23, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected and tracked four Russian military aircraft entering the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). This area, while part of international airspace, serves as a buffer zone requiring the identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security. According to NATO, the ADIZ begins where a nation’s sovereign airspace ends, making it a frequent site for interactions between U.S. and Russian military forces.

The video, released by the U.S. military on Monday, captures a tense moment as a U.S. Air Force F-16 flies dangerously close to a Russian Tu-95 bomber. The situation escalates when a Russian Su-35 fighter jet swiftly maneuvers between the American and Russian aircraft, closing in within mere feet of the U.S. jet. The maneuver was deemed reckless and dangerous.

General Gregory Guillot, the commander of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, sharply criticized the behavior of the Russian fighter pilot. “The conduct of one Russian Su-35 was unsafe, unprofessional, and endangered all – not what you’d see in a professional air force,” he said.

This kind of interaction goes beyond routine military operations and introduces significant risk to both sides, he added.