Above, photo from a US MQ-9 drone as a
Russian-Su-27-dumps-fuel-on it over the Black Sea.
Marcus Weisgerber Defense One April 27,
2023
Russian warplanes are flying increasingly close to American
fighter jets in the skies over Syria like theyre trying to
dogfight, the top U.S. Air Force general in the region said.
Since March 1, Russian pilots have acted in hostile ways that
have U.S. military leaders concerned about the possibilities for
miscalculation and escalation.
The Russians have been increasingly bellicose in how theyre
approaching us, Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, who leads Air Forces
Central Command, said in an interview. Theyre maneuvering
aggressively against us when our protocols would say were supposed
to stay several miles apart and just monitor each other.
[T]heyre aggressively maneuvering, almost like theyre trying to
dogfight, if you will, Grynkewich said. Thats very concerning.
Dogfighting is a term used to describe planes engaging each
other in aerial combat.
The generals message to his pilots: Dont take the bait.
The guidance that Ive given our folks is were not going to act
like they are, Grynkewich said. Were going to act in a professional
manner, and were going to try to de-escalate the situation.
Since U.S. aircraft rarely fly alone, there are multiple
aircraft to protect one another.
We always try to keep one of our fighters in a position of
advantage with respect to the Russians as theyre trying to do the
maneuvering against the other one, Grynkewich said. The other
[American] one basically, tries to de-escalate, to shake them, to
get them to turn and go a different direction.
The Wall Street Journal
first reported increasingly hostile interactions between
American and Russian warplanes, but not the dogfighting.
For years, American and Russian jets have shared the skies over
Syria. U.S. aircraft have been fighting ISIS while Moscows planes
have backed the Syrian governments efforts to suppress
anti-government rebels. U.S. and Russian military officials
communicate regularly on a deconfliction telephone, sharing details
about planned missions, including aircraft call signs and planes
electronic transmission codes.
The two sides still have some technical and professional
exchanges on the phone, Grynkewich said. I think that that is good
that the phones are still ringing, the phones are still being
picked up. But the physical manifestation of their behavior is
concerning nonetheless.
And the general said U.S. officials complaints about the
encounters with Moscow appear to...