While the United States celebrated Independence Day, two pairs of Russian bombers flew off the coast of California and Alaska -- forcing the Air Force to scramble fighter jets to intercept both flights, two senior defense officials tell Fox News.

The first incident occurred at 10:30 a.m. ET on July 4 off the coast of Alaska, Fox News is told. Two U.S. Air Force F-22 jets were scrambled from their base in Alaska to intercept two Tupolev Tu-95 long-range strategic bombers, capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

The second incident occurred at 11:00 a.m. ET also on July 4, off the central coast of California. Two F-15s from an undisclosed location were scrambled to intercept another pair of Tu-95 Bear bombers.

A spokesman for NORAD would not confirm if either pair of bombers was armed.

At no time did either pair of bombers enter U.S. airspace, 12 nautical miles off the coast, according to one defense official. Neither official would reveal just how close the bombers came to U.S. shores.

At the same time the bombers were in the air probing the West Coast of the United States, Russian President Vladimir Putin called President Obama to wish him a happy July 4th.

"These are not unprecedented flights, but we are postured to respond whether Alaska or California," NORAD spokesman Michael Kucharek said. "At no time did the bombers enter North American sovereign airspace."

A similar incident took place on July 4, 2013.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

JR getting very cheap on his pre game military fly over features

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

The CIA needs to kill this prick before he starts WW3 .

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What needs to happen is we need to splash a couple of those things and act like nothing happened.

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Elections have consequences.

yeah id be fine it we called it an accident

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the world will always the world. your entire existence is defined by your response.

You kind of have to love this guy. He's interesting crazy.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

He's got balls , I gotta admit I did love the Robert Kraft ring story..but this planet is better off without him.

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Maybe Obama could figure out who would usually do this for us?

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Chechnya ?

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I thought this thread was about Bill Cosby.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!