In Syria, two Su-34 and two Su-35 aircraft belonging to the Russian Aerospace Forces were impacted by the targeting and radar systems of two F-35 fighter jets belonging to the anti-terrorism coalition led by the US. According to information provided by Rear Admiral Vadim Kulit, Deputy Head of the Russian Centre for Reconciliation of Warring Parties (CPVS) in Syria, the onboard defence systems of the Russian aircraft were activated immediately upon detection of the threat.
“On August 11th, from 02:13 to 02:20, two Russian aircraft, Su-34 and two Su-35, during a planned flight in the Et-Tanf area, were affected by targeting systems, which led to the automatic activation of onboard defence systems. These same aircraft were subjected to radar interference from two F-35 fighter jets,” said Kulit.
According to Kulit, the coalition is continuing to foster an environment conducive to aviation incidents and is exacerbating the preexisting tensions in the Arab Republic’s airspace as a result of their actions.
The Deputy Head of CPVS further mentioned that pro-American anti-terrorism coalition fighter jets and drones violated Syrian airspace over the Et-Tanf area 16 times throughout the previous day. This region is home to international air routes. Kulit also reported that coalition drones had breached deconfliction protocols 11 times the previous day, creating dangerous scenarios in the sky above Syria.
According to a statement released by the 9th Air Force on July 25, a squadron of F-35 Lightning IIs, among the most modern fighter jets in the Air Force, landed in the Middle East. These aircraft are intended for operations against the Islamic State in Syria and Iran.
The US has approximately 900 soldiers stationed in Syria to fight against ISIS; nevertheless, it accuses Russia of harassing its drones in Syria and placing its planes and pilots in danger.
The US had previously sent F-22 Raptor fighter jets to the Middle East to respond to “increasingly hazardous and unprofessional behaviour by Russian aircraft in the region.
