Russian Pilots Attempt to “Dogfight” With U.S. Jets Over Syria
Russian Pilots Baiting U.S. Jets in Syria
According to a three-star general in charge of U.S. air operations in the Middle East, Russian pilots are baiting U.S. jets after attempting to engage in a “dogfight” in Syria.
Tensions were high over the weekend as Russian troops grew confrontational toward America and its allies, crossing paths over war zones in shared airspace.
Col. Joe Buccino told CNN that Russian pilots were not trying to shoot down U.S. jets but rather attempting to “draw us into an international incident” or “provoke” the U.S. into war.
In military aviation, dogfighting engages in aerial combat, often at a close range. This is an ongoing issue with Russian pilots, who have been aggravating U.S. pilots in mid-air on more than one occasion.
- On April 2, a Russian SU-35 fighter jet was captured on video conducting an “unsafe and unprofessional” intercept of a U.S. F-16 fighter jet.
- Another video from April 18 caught a second Russian fighter jet violating coalition airspace, coming within 2,000 feet of a U.S. aircraft, a distance a fighter jet can cover in seconds.
Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich said the U.S. has been trying to de-escalate tensions between the two countries and act professionally.
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