This event follows several similar incidents this month and comes less than two weeks after the U.S. Army deployed soldiers to Shemya Island, Alaska, in a “force protection operation.”
This move was a response to heightened Russian and Chinese military exercises in the area, as part of a show of “ready, lethal force” by the 11th Airborne Division, also known as the Arctic Angels.
While the Russian flights are considered routine and not an immediate threat, the presence of U.S. military personnel highlights the ongoing tensions between the U.S. and its adversaries, particularly amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict. U.S.-China relations also remain strained despite efforts to resume high-level military communications.
Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election, has suggested that if elected, he may pursue a different approach to relations with Russia and China, implying that these nations might not necessarily be adversaries
