Washington( CNN) US Navy F/ -A1 8 fighter jets were dispatched from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and escorted two Russian TU-9 5 bombers that were approaching the ship on Sunday, according to two US defense officials.
The USS Ronald Reagan was operating in the Sea of Japan/ East Sea at the time of the interaction.
Three US carriers — USS Ronald Reagan, USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Nimitz — have been operating in the US Navy's 7th Fleet area of operations, which covers the eastern Indian and western Pacific oceans, in recent days.
