Current:Home > StocksUS Army conducts training exercise on Alaskan island less than 300 miles from Russia -Finovate
US Army conducts training exercise on Alaskan island less than 300 miles from Russia
View
Date:2025-04-16 23:47:27
U.S. Army soldiers were deployed to the remote Shemya Island in Alaska last week, as part of a training exercise that follows recent flights of Russian and Chinese aircraft near American airspace in the region.
Soldiers of the 11th Airborne Division, as well as the 1st and 3rd Multi Domain Task Forces, deployed to Shemya Island, part of the vast Aleutian Islands archipelago, on September 12. Shemya Island, located 1,200 miles west of Anchorage and less than 300 miles from the Russian coast, is home the Eareckson Air Station, an early-warning radar installation that can track ballistic missiles and other objects.
“As the number of adversarial exercises increases around Alaska and throughout the region, including June’s joint Russian-Chinese bomber patrol, the operation to Shemya Island demonstrates the division’s ability to respond to events in the Indo-Pacific or across the globe, with a ready, lethal force within hours,” Maj. Gen. Joseph Hilbert, the commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, said in a statement.
Watch:Army Ranger rescues fellow soldier trapped in car as it becomes engulfed in flames
A summer of close calls with Russian and Chinese aircraft
In July, U.S. and Canadian jets intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bomber aircraft that were flying within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), an area of international airspace where aircraft are required to identify themselves to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
The training exercise also came just a day after NORAD reportedly “detected and tracked two Russian military aircraft” operating in the ADIZ.
As reported by Stars and Stripes, this summer has also seen numerous flights by Russian and Chinese military aircraft around the Pacific, including an incident last week in which a Russian military aircraft circled the island of Okinawa, where the U.S. maintains a large military presence, a flight by Chinese military aircraft into Japanese airspace on August 26, and a July flight by two Russian military bomber aircraft between Japan and South Korea.
The U.S. training exercise, which was expected to last several days, involved paratroopers, artillery, and radars based in Alaska, Hawaii, and Washington. An Army press release also described it as an important step in maintaining a U.S. presence in the Arctic, “as it becomes more accessible with the accelerating impacts of climate change.”
Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com
veryGood! (53)
Related
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- Lack of air traffic controllers is industry's biggest issue, United Airlines CEO says
- Lululemon’s Olympic Challenge to Reduce Its Emissions
- Report: 20 of the world's richest economies, including the U.S., fuel forced labor
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- Study: Pennsylvania Children Who Live Near Fracking Wells Have Higher Leukemia Risk
- Scientists Say It’s ‘Fatally Foolish’ To Not Study Catastrophic Climate Outcomes
- Q&A: Eliza Griswold Reflects on the Lessons of ‘Amity and Prosperity,’ Her Deep Dive Into Fracking in Southwest Pennsylvania
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- Inside Clean Energy: As Efficiency Rises, Solar Power Needs Fewer Acres to Pack the Same Punch
Ranking
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- Ron DeSantis debuts presidential bid in a glitch-ridden Twitter 'disaster'
- Slim majority wants debt ceiling raised without spending cuts, poll finds
- Inside Clean Energy: Here Come the Battery Recyclers
- Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
- Kate Spade 24-Hour Flash Deal: Get This $240 Crossbody Bag for Just $59
- Inside Clean Energy: Recycling Solar Panels Is a Big Challenge, but Here’s Some Recent Progress
- A Pipeline Giant Pleads ‘No Contest’ to Environmental Crimes in Pennsylvania After Homeowners Complained of Tainted Water
Recommendation
Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
Study: Pennsylvania Children Who Live Near Fracking Wells Have Higher Leukemia Risk
Disney World is shutting down its $2,500-a-night Star Wars-themed hotel
You’ll Roar Over Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom’s PDA Moments at Wimbledon Match
House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
Khloe Kardashian Labels Kanye West a Car Crash in Slow Motion After His Antisemitic Comments
Kathy Hilton Shares Cryptic Message Amid Sister Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky Divorce Rumors
European watchdog fines Meta $1.3 billion over privacy violations