NORAD Detects and Tracks Russian IL-20M Coot Surveillance Aircraft in Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone

The four-engine turboprop, used for electronic intelligence gathering, remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace.

NORTH AMERICA — On Wednesday, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected and tracked one Russian Ilyushin IL-20M Coot surveillance aircraft operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

IL-20M Coot: credit: Kirill Naumenko, CC BY-SA 3.0 GFDL 1.2, via Wikimedia Commons

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The four-engine turboprop, used for electronic intelligence gathering, remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace. This activity occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat.

NORAD launched two F-16 fighter aircraft and one KC-135 tanker to positively identify and monitor the aircraft.