For the first time in the region, Russia and China flew a joint bomber patrol in an exercise near Alaska. Russian fighter jets guided two Russian Tu-95 bombers and two Chinese Xian H-6 planes over the Chukchi and Bering seas for over five hours. In response to the exercise, the U.S. and Canada quickly put together fighter jets in an “intercept.” This is when “a country flies its jets alongside foreign aircraft as a show of defense.” The aircraft did not enter U.S. airspace and remained at least 200 miles off the coast. However, the exercise involved bombers which are capable of delivering nuclear missiles. These drills send a signal that Russia and China are continuously deepening their military ties and are prepared if they need to jointly fight a war in the future.