An F-22 Raptor conducts a combat air patrol mission over an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, Sept. 13, 2019. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Russ Scalf)
On June 14, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that stealth F-22 Raptors fighter jets were deployed from Langley Air Force Base to the Middle East due to what it described as an “increasingly unsafe and unprofessional behavior” by Russian warplanes in the region.
In a statement, the command said that the deployment of the Raptors from the 94th Fighter Squadron demonstrates “the U.S. ability to re-posture forces and deliver overwhelming power at a moment’s notice.”
While in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, the fighter jets will integrate with U.S.-led coalition forces, operating in Syria and Iraq, on the ground and in the air.
“Russian Forces’ unsafe and unprofessional behavior is not what we expect from a professional air force. Their regular violation of agreed upon airspace deconfliction measures increases the risk of escalation or miscalculation,” said General Michael “Erik” Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command. “Alongside our partners and allies, we are committed to improving the security and stability in the region.”
A week earlier, an official from the U.S. Air Forces Central told Al-Arabiya English that the Russian military group in Syria has stopped adhering to agreed-upon deconfliction protocols with the U.S.-led coalition.
“Their [Russia’s] aircraft operate in an unsafe and unprofessional manner, executing aggressive maneuvers and committing non-deconflicted incursions into our operating areas with increasing frequency,” the unnamed official said.
The official added that coalition pilots began to use radar and other “on-board systems and sensors” to avoid collision and maintain awareness of Russian fighter jets nearby, confirming earlier statements by the Russian Ministry of Defense about American fighter jets activating their weapons systems over Syria.
The Russian military is present in Syria at the request of the Damascus government. Meanwhile, the U.S. maintains some 900 troops in the country without any authorization from the legitimate government or the United Nations.
U.S. troops occupy lucrative oil and gas fields in northeastern Syria , and block the strategic Damascus-Baghdad highway in the southwestern region.
Tensions between Russian and U.S. forces in Syria have been on the rise Moscow launched a special military operation in Ukraine last year.
The deployment of F-22 fighter jets by the U.S. will only lead to more tensions. Russia could respond by deploying its own Su-57 fighter jets in Syria.
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