In a concerning incident on Sunday, a Russian fighter jet flew dangerously close to an American aircraft over Syria, putting the lives of U.S. Air Force pilots at risk.
The incident occurred at approximately 11:45 a.m. when a Russian Su-35 jet approached a U.S. MC-12 aircraft in an unsafe and unprofessional manner, violating established norms and protocols, according to U.S. Air Forces Central Commander Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich.
The American twin-engine turboprop aircraft was conducting operations in support of the coalition's Defeat ISIS mission when the incident took place. The Russian jet's proximity forced the MC-12 to fly through its wake turbulence, compromising the crew's ability to safely operate the aircraft and endangering the lives of the four crew members on board.
The U.S. has not disclosed the cause of the Russian behavior or the exact location of the incident over Syria. This encounter is the latest in a series of incidents where Russian jets have harassed U.S. military aircraft in the region. However, what sets this incident apart is the presence of U.S. personnel on board the MC-12.
Just two weeks prior, Russian aircraft dropped flares in front of American drones in back-to-back incidents on July 5 and 6. During those incidents, Russian jets performed dangerous maneuvers around American MQ-9 Reaper drones engaged in military operations against ISIS in Syria.
Video footage released by the Air Force earlier this month showed several Su-35s dropping flares in front of three U.S. drones. At one point, a Russian jet even cut in front of a drone and activated its afterburner, compromising the operator's ability to safely control the aircraft.
Days later, on July 9, the same three U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones were used to eliminate senior ISIS leader Usamah al-Muhajir in eastern Syria, according to Central Command.
While the motive behind Sunday's incident remains unclear, Moscow previously claimed that its forces were conducting joint drills with Syrian forces when the American drone violated their airspace during the July 5 and 6 incidents. The Pentagon has vehemently denied this claim.
Approximately 900 U.S. personnel are currently deployed in Syria to assist in the fight against ISIS. Many of them are working alongside the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in their efforts to combat terrorism.
"These actions against a manned aircraft represent a new level of unsafe and unprofessional behavior by Russian aircraft operating in Syria," stated Grynkewich. He strongly urged Russian forces in Syria to cease their reckless and threatening behavior, which could lead to accidents and loss of life, and to adhere to the expected standards of behavior for a professional force.
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