The US military was forced to scramble its fighter jets multiple times after a series of Russian spy planes were tracked flying close to Alaska.
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad) tracked a Russian IL-20 COOT, a reconnaissance aircraft from the Cold War era, in Alaskan airspace.
According to Norad, it is the fourth time in under a week that this type of Russian aircraft has been detected in the region.
In each instance, the military command responded by sending out fighter jets to track the movements from the Soviet-era spy planes.
According to Norad, it is the fourth time in under a week that this type of Russian aircraft has been detected
|NORAD
Norad confirmed that the military aircraft stayed in international airspace and did not cross over into US or Canadian airspace.
The military command said: "Norad employs a layered defence network of satellites, ground-based and airborne radars and fighter aircraft to detect and track aircraft and inform appropriate actions.
"Norad remains ready to employ a number of response options in defence of North America."
Tuesday's detection forced the Americans to quickly scramble two F-16s, an E-3 Sentry and one KC-135 tanker to keep tabs on the Russian plane.
Last month, the military command posted images of US fighter jets intercepting a Russian aircraft flying in the Alaskan Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).
Norad has detected a slew of Russian aircraft flying in the ADIZ this year.
In April and February, the military command said an F-35 Lightning fighter jet intercepted two Russian Tu-95 and two Su-35 planes.
However, all the Russian aircraft did not cross into US and Canadian sovereign airspace.
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Norad has frequently detected Russian aircraft flying in the ADIZ this year
|NORAD
Closer to home, Russia launched two Tu-95MS nuclear bombers to fly north of Britain in a show of military strength earlier this year.
The incident provoked two Nato warplanes to shadow the aircraft throughout the pair's four-hour flight.
The Russian Defence Ministry affirmed that the flight was carried out "in strict compliance with the international rules of using the airspace".
"The flight lasted more than four hours.
Nato allies are said to be searching for a Russian submarine (file photo)
| GETTY"The crews of MiG-31 aircraft of the Aerospace Forces and Su-33 planes of the Navy provided fighter support during the flight," the Ministry added.
Kremlin news agency Tass reported at the time: "At some stages of the flight, fighter jets of foreign states escorted the Russian strategic bombers."
Over the weekend, the RAF joined up again with Nato to track down a Russian submarine suspected of threatening an American aircraft carrier.
RAF Poseidon planes have carried out several flights from a base in Lossiemouth, Scotland.
Whether the hunt was successful or not remains unknown.