In what could have been a scene right out of a new Top Gun movie, a video from the cockpit of an American F-16 shows a Russian SU-35 fly extremely close and at high speeds in what is being described as a very dangerous maneuver.
The video was taken in the skies above Alaska in September, 2024. This is an area of international air space that is called the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone. While planes from various countries can fly in this zone, they are all required to identify themselves while there.
The F-16 was there to monitor a Russian TU-95 Bomber aircraft, which can be seen in the distance in the video.
While monitoring, the SU-35 quickly flies into view on the left side and then flies out into the distance as the F-16 pilot maneuvers to avoid any potential collision.
The US Northern Command official General Gregory Guillot posted about the incident on X saying:
“The conduct of one Russian Su-35 was unsafe, unprofessional, and endangered all – not what you’d see in a professional air force.”
You can see the video of the incident here:
It seems tensions are heating up.
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