Russian Warplanes Are ‘Trying to Dogfight’ US Jets Over Syria, General Says
“Don’t take the bait,” the region’s top Air Force general warns pilots.
MARCUS WEISGERBER | APRIL 27, 2023 07:04 PM ET
AIR FORCE MIDDLE EAST RUSSIA SYRIA
Russian warplanes are flying increasingly close to American fighter jets in the skies over Syria “like they're trying to dogfight,” the top U.S. Air Force general in the region said.
Since March 1, Russian pilots have acted in hostile ways that have U.S. military leaders concerned about the possibilities for miscalculation and escalation.
The Russians have been “increasingly bellicose in how they're approaching us,” Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, who leads Air Forces Central Command, said in an interview. “They're maneuvering aggressively against us when our protocols would say we're supposed to stay… several miles apart and just monitor each other.”
“[T]hey're aggressively maneuvering, almost like they're trying to dogfight, if you will,” Grynkewich said. “That's very concerning.”
https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2023/04/russian-warplanes-are-trying-dogfight-us-jets-over-syria-general-says/385736/