Armed Russian jets are caught flying over US military base in Syria nearly every day in March
Armed Russian planes have flown over a US military site throughout March at an alarming rate that could lead to an escalation between the two countries.
According to a new report from nbc newsRussian Su-34 jets which may have air-to-air weapons and radar-guided missiles and bombs and heat seekers have been over the At Tanf garrison almost every day in March.
In the first three weeks of the month, Russian planes entered US airspace over the garrison 25 times, compared with zero times in February and 14 times in January.
“It’s a substantial increase,” Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich said. He said that Russia is currently “on track to be twice what it has been in the past.”
Lt. Gen. Grynewich, who is in charge of air operations in the region, said the actions violate a four-year agreement between the two countries and could lead to future problems.
Russian planes that are armed have flown over a US military site throughout March at an alarming rate that could lead to an escalation between the two countries.
Russian Su-34 jets that can carry air-to-air weapons and radar-guided missiles and bombs and heat seekers have been over the At Tanf garrison almost every day in March.
This is the At Tanf garrison (also known as the Al Tanf garrison) in Syria
According to Grynkewich, whose official title is Combined Forces Air Component Commander for US Central Command, the most recent flight over the base occurred on Wednesday.
He says the increase in overflights has started to raise red flags for some.
“They’re regularly flying directly over our units, and I’ve defined directly overhead, as within about a mile, no more than a mile away from one side or the other, while we have forces there on the ground in ATG,” he said. he said to the medium.
“So it’s an awkward situation,” Grynkewich continued.
This “awkward situation” comes just days after two Russian Su-27 fighter jets aggressively flew around a US drone.
During that incident that occurred over the Black Sea, the planes dropped fuel on the drone and eventually collided with it, causing the drone to sink.
Grynkewich said the US has used its conflict prevention hotline to counter the hostility, but the calls have done little to stop the behavior.
Instead of acknowledging the problem, the military official said the Russians have told him they don’t recognize the airspace as America’s.
“It’s a substantial increase,” Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich said. He said that Russia is currently “on track to be twice what it has been in the past.”
Grynkewich said the US has used its dispute resolution hotline to counter the hostility, but the calls have done little to stop the behavior.
Instead of acknowledging the problem, the military official said the Russians have told him they do not recognize the airspace as US property.
This ‘awkward situation’ comes just days after two Russian Su-27 fighter jets aggressively flew around a US drone.
US officials said the MQ-9 Reaper drone was intercepted by two Russian Su-27 jets that dumped fuel on the drone before cutting off its propeller, forcing it to crash.
An MQ-9 Reaper drone is seen in a file photo. The downing of the US surveillance drone was the first direct US-Russian military incident since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The overflights are in direct violation of the 2019 agreement between the two countries regarding the air in Syria.
At the time, both countries agreed to the deal in an effort to avoid encounters.
Russian and US military officials stated that any overflight of each other’s ground bases or sites would not be considered acceptable.
That no longer seems to be the case, says Grynkewich.
“The Russians in recent months seem to have abandoned that principle of the protocols,” Grynkewich said.
Yet Russia still tells the US to stay out of its airspace.
The US is still adhering to the aforementioned agreement, according to Grynkewich.
He maintains that both countries should focus squarely on opposing ISIS forces in Syria, noting that Russia acting now “seems like a very strange time to be doing this.”
As of March 23, no US military ground operations have been affected by Russian aircraft, but Grynkewich says that may not continue.
“What it really is is a distraction from the fight against ISIS,” he said. “It hasn’t affected the fight on the ground yet, but it certainly has the potential to.”
“I’m not worried about open hostilities, I’m worried about a miscalculation or someone’s unprofessional or immature action,” he continued.
“The Russians in recent months seemed to abandon that principle of the protocols,” Grynkewich said.
The US continues to adhere to the aforementioned agreement regarding overflights in Syria
“Over the course of my career, I have not seen this kind of disregard for agreed upon protocols and dispute resolution rules,” Grynkewich told NBC News.
DailyMail.com contacted the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
“So this is very unique, what we’re seeing right now,” Grynkewich said of the flybys.
At this time, the military official said that he does not believe the Russians have any incentive to use strong weapons or attack US troops in Syria.
“But it just increases the risk of a miscalculation, and given things like the MQ-9 incident in the Black Sea, it’s not the kind of behavior you would expect from a professional Air Force,” Grynkewich said.
DailyMail.com contacted the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
“Over the course of my career, I have not seen this kind of disregard for agreed upon protocols and dispute resolution rules,” Grynkewich told NBC. “So this is very unique, what we’re seeing right now.”