The United States released video Thursday showing Russian fighter jets flying “dangerously” close to US drones over Syria, firing missiles and forcing MQ-9 Reapers to evade maneuvers.
According to the US Air Force Command Center, the footage shows the encounter that took place Wednesday, in which a Russian “SU-35” fighter approaches a “Reaper” and later several of the so-called parachute missiles enter the flight. path of the unmanned aerial vehicle.
The missiles are attached to parachutes.
Lieutenant General Alex Grynkewich, commander of the 9th Air Force in the Middle East, said three of the US drones were operating in northwest Syria after 10:30 am local time on a mission against the Islamic State group (ISIS). EI), without providing further details.
According to the commander, three of the Russian aircraft “began to harass the ‘drones'”, which were not armed and are normally used for reconnaissance missions.
In a statement, Grynkewich said one of the Russian pilots put his plane in front of a “drone” and accepted the “SU-35’s” afterburner, which significantly increased its speed and air pressure.
The explosion of the afterburner jet could potentially damage the Reaper’s electronics, which is why Grynkewich said it reduced the drone operator’s ability to safely fly the plane.
“Russian military aircraft engaged in unsafe and unprofessional behavior when interacting with US aircraft in Syria,” he said, adding that the actions endangered the safety of US and Russian forces.
“We urge Russian forces in Syria to stop this reckless behavior and to adhere to the standards of conduct expected of a professional air force so that we can refocus on the lasting defeat of the IS group.” he added.
For his part, Army General Erik Kurilla, head of US central command, stressed in a statement that Russia’s violation of ongoing efforts to clear airspace over Syria “increases the risk of escalation or miscalculation”.
About 900 US troops have been deployed to Syria to cooperate with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which is fighting Islamic State militants.
No further details were given about the operations with the ‘drones’.
Source: DN
