A Russian Su-35 fighter jet damaged the propeller of a US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone over Syria on Tuesday, forcing the drone to make an emergency landing in Iraq. The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday morning when the MQ-9 Reaper was conducting a routine surveillance mission over eastern Syria.
On July 23 Russian military aircraft deployed flares, damaging a U.S. MQ-9 while conducting a defeat-ISIS mission. For the full statement by Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, Commander, 9th AF (AFCENT) visithttps://t.co/5cQm8MQ6aQ@CENTCOM @DeptofDefense @usairforce @CJTFOIR pic.twitter.com/ViVTI3P05i
— US AFCENT (@USAFCENT) July 25, 2023
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The Su-35 approached the drone and fired a flare, which damaged the propeller. The drone was able to return to base safely, but the damage to the propeller forced it to make an emergency landing in Iraq. The incident is the latest in a series of close encounters between Russian and US aircraft over Syria. In 2017, a Russian Su-25 fighter jet shot down a US Navy RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drone over Syria. The incident sparked a diplomatic crisis between the two countries.
The US military has not released any details about the incident on Tuesday, but it is likely that the Su-35 was attempting to intimidate the MQ-9 Reaper. The Russian military has been using its Su-35 fighters to escort its own aircraft over Syria, and it is possible that the fighter jet was trying to warn the MQ-9 Reaper to stay away.
The incident is a reminder of the risks that US aircraft face when operating in Syria. The country is a volatile conflict zone, and there is always the potential for accidents or incidents. The US military will need to be careful to avoid further incidents with Russian aircraft in Syria.