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On Wednesday, the US military voiced its shock at Russian assertions that one of its most advanced fighter jets, which was flying above Syria, felt threatened by what the Kremlin claimed was a dangerous approach from a smaller, slower, propeller-powered, and significantly less powerful US drone.
The unmanned MQ-9 Reaper drone allegedly flew within 100 meters of the Russian Su-34 fighter jet on Tuesday, according to a spokesman for Russia’s headquarters for operations in Syria.
He also criticized the US for violating the strict rules the two countries have set for operations in a conflict zone by failing to disclose the drone’s flight path beforehand.
The Russian pilots avoid colliding with the problematic drone, according to Rear Adm. Vadim Kulit, who also praised their professionalism.
The assertions were laughed off by aviation Force Col. Mike Andrews, a spokesman for the US administration in charge of directing aviation operations in the Middle East.
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In Andrews’ opinion, the Russians need a second pilot if a MQ-9 can approach a fighter aircraft covertly.
The Su-34 has a maximum speed of Mach 1.8, or about 1,375 miles per hour, according to accessible sources. The turbo-prop MQ-9 has a top speed of 280 mph.
Instead, he listed the numerous occasions when Russian jets have harassed US aircraft and drones, including one especially spectacular event at the end of July when a Russian fighter fired flares at a MQ-9 over Syria, striking it and causing significant damage.
In a high-profile event in March that was perceived at the time as escalating tensions between the two countries, a Russian fighter jet collided with a US drone over the Black Sea, resulting in the drone’s crash.
Even though tensions are still high, both countries have tried to coordinate their operations since Russia stepped up operations in Syria to support its proxy in the regime of Bashar Assad, and especially since the US unilaterally withdrew many of its capabilities there under the Trump administration.
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Source: www.msn.com
