Video: Russian Fighters ‘Harass’ MQ-9s over Syria in Latest Run-in

According to the US military, on July 5, Russian warplanes dropped parachute missiles and activated a jet’s afterburner in front of US MQ-9s over Syria. This intensified tactics aimed at disrupting US operations through a “new level” of aggressive behavior.

Three US MQ-9 Reaper drones operating against ISIS targets were intercepted by three Russian Su-35 fighter jets, which began harassment maneuvers, said Air Forces Central (AFCENT) commander Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich , in a July 5 statement.

“These events provide another example of unprofessional and unsafe practices by the Russian air forces operating in Syria, which endanger the security of both US and Russian forces,” Grynkewich said.

Dropping parachute missiles in front of the MQ-9s forced drone operators to “evade maneuvers,” Grynkewich said. When a Russian fighter flew in front of a US MQ-9 and turned on its engine’s afterburner, “speed and air pressure increased, [the maneuver] This reduced the MQ-9 operator’s ability to safely operate the aircraft.

The incident, which occurred around 10:40 a.m. local time on July 5, was the latest in a series of Russian maneuvers designed to disrupt US drone operations. The Reapers can wield weapons in addition to their native intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance abilities. Onboard cameras recorded the encounter in detail. The US Department of Defense promptly declassified the secrecy and released a compilation video late July 5.

In March, a Russian Su-27 collided with an American MQ-9 over the Black Sea while two Su-27s tried to harass the American drone. The USA also released drone footage at the time. Separately, in May, Chinese warplanes fired on a US RC-135 over the South China Sea. Such incidents increase the risk of accidents.

Grynkewich and other US military officials have, in recent months, sounded alarm over Russian behavior in Syria, which a US official previously told Air & Space Forces Magazine could be an attempt to “create an international incident.” After a winter lull in Russian air activity near US positions, Russian warplanes resumed regular overflights of US positions in Syria in March. In the same month, US positions in Syria were also fatally attacked by Iranian-backed militias.

The US initially bolstered its air presence with A-10s, which arrived in late March and were converted from regular Warthogs to carry small-diameter bombs and other precision munitions. US actions also included a recent training mission in which B-1 bombers fired a long-range JASSM cruise missile and were escorted by Allied air forces. Most notably, in mid-June the US sent F-22 Raptors to the region in direct response to recent Russian actions, which appeared to have had no lasting impact on Moscow pilots.

“Russian forces continue to exhibit unsafe and unprofessional behavior in the air,” Army General Michael “Erik” Kurilla, the US Central Command chief, said of the recent incident. “Their regular breach of agreed airspace resolution measures increases the risk of escalation or misjudgment.”

F-22s have sometimes been used in the past to escort US strike missions against ISIS fighters in northeastern Syria as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the anti-ISIS campaign, due to the threat of Russian aircraft, but the US has the Air Force Presence in Syria Reduced The region has become more focused on the Pacific and Europe since ISIS’s self-proclaimed caliphate was defeated. AFCENT currently has approximately two and a half squadrons of fourth-generation F-16 and F-15Es fighters, as well as A-10s and MQ-9s in the region.

The US has deployed around 900 troops in Syria to help its Kurdish allies fight what remains of IS. Russia supports the regime of Bashar Al-Assad. In a recent conference call with reporters, Grynkewich said the Russians continued to violate mutually agreed deconflict protocols aimed at reducing the risk of an unintended conflict in Syria and keeping the two sides’ air forces in eastern Syria separate. Since the spring, Air Forces Central has noted that Russia has come within 150 meters of US manned aircraft and has regularly overflown US troops dozens of times.

A Russian Defense Ministry official, Oleg Gurinov, said US coalition drones were flying over an area where troops from the Russian and Assad regimes were conducting drills.

“We remind that the Russian side bears no responsibility for flight safety of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) that have not been agreed with the Russian side,” Gurinov said, according to the state news agency TASS.

Grynkewich has repeatedly questioned Russia’s motives, saying they undermine American efforts to defeat the remnants of ISIS – a goal Russia is said to support.

“We call on Russian forces in Syria to stop this reckless behavior and to adhere to the standards of behavior expected of a professional air force so we can return our focus to permanently defeating ISIS,” Grynkewich said.