Armed Russian jets have flown over a U.S. military garrison in Syria nearly every day in March, violating a 4 year old agreement between the U.S. and Russia and risking escalation, according to the U.S. general in charge of air operations in the region.
The most recent Russian overflight of At Tanf Garrison ATG happened just a few hours earlier, and Russian jets have violated the airspace about 25 times so far this month, compared to zero times in February and 14 times in January, according to Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, combined forces air component commander for U.S. Central Command.
He said that they are on track to be double what they have been in the past, and that they are on track to be double what it has been in the past. They are often flying directly overhead of our units, and I have defined directly overhead, as within a mile, no more than a mile offset one side or the other, while we have got forces right there on the ground at ATG, said Grynkewich. It is an uncomfortable situation. Russian aircraft includes Su-34 jets. Some aircraft carry air-to-air weapons and others with air-to-ground munitions, weapons include radar-guided and heat-seeking missiles and bombs.
Two Russian Su 27 fighter jets flew aggressively around a U.S. MQ 9 Reaper drone last week, dumping fuel on the drone and eventually colliding with it, forcing the U.S. to down the drone in the water.
Grynkewich said that he does not think Russians have any incentive to use weapons against the U.S. military in Syria. It just increases the risk of miscalculation, and it is not the kind of behavior I expect from a professional Air Force, given things like the MQ 9 incident in the Black Sea. The U.S. military has used the established deconfliction phone line it shares with the Russians to protest the actions, but it has not changed Russian behavior. During the calls the Russians told the U.S. they don't recognize all the airspace over At Tanf, also known as Al Tanf, or that they are responding to coalition activity in the area, said Grynkewich.