Twice this past week, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected and tracked a Russian Air Force Ilyushin Il-20M “Coot-A” electronic signals intelligence aircraft operating inside the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). On both occasions, NORAD scrambled an E-3 “Sentry” airborne early warning and control aircraft, a KC-135 refueling tanker, and two F-16 “Fighting Falcons” to intercept, visually identify, and shadow the Il-20M. The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter U.S. or Canadian sovereign airspace.