Two F-22s from JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, intercepted Russian Tu-95 Bears off the coast of Alaska on Monday. Two Russian bombers were tracked flying in international airspace, when the two F-22s were scrambled and conducted an intercept the Pentagon said was “safe and professional,” according to The Associated Press. The bombers flew as close as 100 miles from Alaska’s Kodiak Island, and F-22s flew alongside the bombers for about 12 minutes, according to AP.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
