U.S. Drone Made Dangerous Approach Towards Russian Fighter Jets Over S…
A drone of the United States-led coalition’s drone had made a dangerous approach towards a Russian fighter jet in Syria, Rear Admiral Oleg Gurinov, deputy chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria said on July 28.
“At 7:55 a.m. on July 28, the coalition’s MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle once again dangerously approached a Russian Su-34 plane at an altitude of 5,000 meters near the settlement of Nafla in the Raqqa governorate,” the commander said, adding that the drone’s flight was not coordinated.
According to Gurinov, Russian pilots demonstrated high professionalism and took timely measures to prevent collisions with the coalition’s drone.
The commander also revealed that a Russian Orlan-10 drone came under electronic attack over Syria a day earlier.
“At 10:20 a.m. on July 27, a Russian Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicle was subjected to radio-electronic impact on its control circuits in the area of al-Enkawi settlement in the Hama province, after which an attempt was made to tamper with its navigation field,” Gurinov said, adding that the operators acted efficiently to successfully return the drone to its base.
Provocative and aggressive activities against the drones of the Russian Aerospace Forces are of “particular concern to the Russian side, the commander added.
U.S.-led coalition operations over Syria are not sanctioned by the country’s government or coordinated with the Russian military group there. Recently, tensions mounted between the U.S. and Russia over the issue.
Earlier this week, the Pentagon alleged that a Russian fighter jet hit the U.S. drone with a flare and “severely” damaged its propeller over Syria and the White House said that another fighter jet flew “dangerously close” to a second drone.
While a military confrontation between U.S. and Russian forces in Syria remains highly unlikely, current tensions could eventually lead to a serious incident. The Russian military has already warned that the coalition’s uncoordinated operations pose a threat to civilian flights over the country.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC:
The post U.S. Drone Made Dangerous Approach Towards Russian Fighter Jets Over Syria appeared first on South Front.
