A MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle prepares to land after a mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson)
For the third time in less than a week, an MQ-9 Reaper combat drone of the United States-led coalition flew dangerously close to a fighter jet of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria’s airspace, according to the deputy chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria.
In a briefing, Major General Yury Popov said that the dangerous encounter took place over the central governorate of Homs.
“From 11:35 a.m. to 11:46 a.m. local time on June 28, a coalition’s MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance combat unmanned aerial vehicle dangerously approached a Russian Su-35 plane making a planned flight over Syria at an altitude of from 7,000 to 8,000 meters,” the military official said, adding that the Russian pilot demonstrated high professionalism and took timely measures to prevent a collision.
Video footage of the encounter surfaced online on the same day. In the footage, the U.S.-led coalition drones appear to be armed and equipped with intelligence gathering systems.
Similar aerial encounters were reported by the Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria first on June 24 and later on June 27.
The U.S.-led coalition expanded its aerial operations over Syria last year, which led to unprecedented tensions with the Russian side.
The coalition’s operations in Syria, which are allegedly directed against ISIS, are not authorized by the country’s government who consider the coalition to be an occupation force. On the other hand, the Russian military operates against ISIS and other terrorist groups in Syria under an agreement with the government.
U.S. attempts to expand its aerial operations over Syria will not likely lead to a confrontation with the Russian military. However, this dangerous behavior could eventually cause a serious incident in the country’s airspace.
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