An F-15E Strike Eagle from the 391st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, launches heat decoys Dec. 15 during a close-air-support mission over Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon)
The Russian military group in Syria has stopped adhering to agreed-upon deconfliction protocols with the United States-led coalition, an American military official told Al-Arabiya English on June 7.
The U.S. maintains some 900 troops in Syria, deployed between key gas and oil fields in the northeastern region and a garrison blocking the strategic Damascus-Baghdad highway in the southeastern area of al-Tanf, under the pretext of fighting ISIS.
Damascus calls this presence an “occupation” and has repeatedly called on Washington to pull its troops out from Syrian territory.
“While our pilots continue to adhere to these agreed-upon protocols, the Russian military recently departed from the standards expected of a professional Air Force, choosing instead to deliberately violate these agreements,” a U.S. Air Forces Central (AFCENT) spokesperson told Al Arabiya English.
“Their [Russia’s] aircraft operate in an unsafe and unprofessional manner, executing aggressive maneuvers and committing non-deconflicted incursions into our operating areas with increasing frequency,” the official added.
The official claimed that coalition pilots began to use radar and other “on-board systems and sensors” to avoid collision and maintain awareness of Russian fighter jets nearby.
“We deliberately maintain a de-escalatory posture to not activate or cue any weapons to Russian aircraft. Comments to the contrary are false and deliberately inflammatory,” he explained.
These claims were repeated by AFCENT public affairs officer Teresa Sullivan, who told the Syrian pro-opposition news outlet Enab Baladi on June 11 that Russian pilots are “violating” the deconfliction protocols while operating over Syria.
Last month, the Russian Center for Reconciliation In Syria warned that U.S. pilots were carrying out unprofessional activity near Russian warplanes, including by “activating” their weapons systems. The Pentagon vehemently denied this accusation, however.
Tensions between Russian and U.S. forces in Syria have been mounting since Moscow launched a special military operation in Ukraine last year. Still, a military confrontation between the two powers in the war-torn country remains highly-unlikely.
the “u s.” risks more confrontation wherever it sends it’s “lied to” troops to illegally occupy foreign sovereign territories.
yanks go home
“asymmetric” dead americansky “walking!…
because no matter which conflict they ch00$e… they l0$e!!!
no one should ever adhere to any protocols with the usa besides the one that no one uses nukes.
syria is were putin screwup and west took advantage and now we have war in ua. russia door steps. after syria west never took putin serious
yeah, however many of us remember that syria were on the point of collapse, back in september 2015. owing to the us deciding they wanted the resources of syria. what happened next? president putin addressed the un assembly, to a packed audience and let them know that russia agreed to the request for help. what a difference a friend makes. how many nations back russia and have turned their backs on the us and the $us?
assad won, in the end iran and russia will stay in syria, the pkk-ypg-sdf terrorists and their sponsors will be kicked out just like in afghanistan, and there’s nothing the treasonous, israel-first aipac slaves in the government, in the military and in the intel can do to prevent that. remember the uss liberty.
uss liberty and the president of the us awarded those that took it out, as he turned his back on the survivors and those that perished.
russian air warriors cannot violate anything. they are there fucking legally and can do whatever they need to without the united snakes permission. let the snakes fire or destroy one russian aircraft…then goodbye united snakes illegal presence in syria.!!!
us are illegally in syria, so why are they complaining? no invite, no declaration of war and no authority via the un.
us illegally in syria, whinging as usual. ironic, but, isn’t today the day that nato toy forces kick start the part of defender 2023, where they try to turn it into a live exercise against russia? how is that going to work out?
i have been warning about that for years. its unsafe, amateurish, and clowny. but what can you expect from a gas station masqueraded as a country.