BLITZER: Tonight, a new source of tension between the United States and Russia. U.S. fighter jets intercepting a half dozen fighter warplanes off the coast of Alaska. Let's go to our Pentagon Correspondent, Barbara Starr. Barr, this clearly was a show of force I taken by the Russians.</s>BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: It was indeed, Wolf. Two incidents in which the U.S. responded of on the coast of Alaska by sending up four U.S. F-22 fighters. There were a total of 11 aircraft involved when you added it all up between the U.S. and Russians. The Russians had four bombers and two fighters jets. The U.S. also had another reconnaissance plane up. Eleven fighters -- 11 aircraft up in the sky. You see one of the images hear taken from one of the U.S. aircraft. It all worked out fine in this case. The Russia aircraft in a safe manner came into a zone of air space that extends 200 miles off the Alaska coast. What were they doing there when they got intercepted and encouraged shall we say to move out by the U.S.? All indications are that the Russian were having a show of force. They wanted to demonstrate that they could train, that they could operate in a complex manner and they achieved that goal. They got the U.S. attention here. Now, this one was all safe and professional by all accounts. But, you know, lock at some of the video we have seen in 2015, 2016 in some other places in the world in the Black Sea and the Baltic when we have had very unsafe, unprofessional -- we have some of the video to show you and remind you, Russian aircraft coming up against U.S. aircraft, coming up against U.S. Navy warships. So, there is always the concern that one of niece instances could, you know, suddenly spiral out of control due to miscalculation. It didn't happen here but got everyone's attention -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: It certainly did. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thank you. Just ahead, after a tornado and severe flooding forced an urgent round of rescues, more dangerous weather is threatening a large portion of the central U.S.
U.S. Fighter Jets Intercept Russian Warplanes Off Alaska