KC-10 and F-22

ANOTHER CLOSE CALL IN THE SKIES OVER SYRIA: RUSSIAN FIGHTER PERFORMS BARREL-ROLL OVER A USAF KC-10 TANKER

By Dario Leone
May 26 2017
Share this article

Russia apologized after the incident was reported via official channels

As reported by CNN Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian, Commander, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, recently took a teleconference call with reporters back in the U.S. where he said a fighter jet from Russia had perform a barrel-roll over a U.S. Air Force (USAF) KC-10 Extender while both aircraft were flying in Syria.

Harrigian said Russia apologized after the incident was reported via official channels.

“We had one incident where there was an intercept they ran that I would categorize as unprofessional, and we called them on it and expressed our concern,” Harrigian said, adding, “they came back, quite frankly, and apologized for that particular intercept.”

However Harrigian explained that the coalition has been able to de-conflict with the Russians and that the one here reported was the only incident in recent months where there were any “issues.”

“We have found ways to appropriately de-conflict to allow us to continue our mission. I think that it’s important to highlight that the Russians are understanding of what we’re trying to do,” Harrigian pointed out.

According to Harrigian the de-confliction efforts with the Russians have ramped up given the “tighter airspace” and need to avoid “strategic miscalculation” in Syria.

Actually even though they are targeting different groups on the ground, US-led coalition, Russian and regime aircraft have recently found themselves flying in increasingly close proximity in eastern Syria as the battle on the ground there has intensified.

As explained by CNN since the increased pace and scale of military operations in Syria, U.S. and Russia have set up a series of “de-confliction zones” that delineate areas of operation for the coalition and the Russian forces to avoid that their respective personnel are targeted by mistake. This despite the fact that U.S. military is prohibited by law from coordinating directly with the Russian military.

“I’m ever-cognizant of the need to avoid an action that could result in a strategic miscalculation. We have had to increase the amount of de-confliction work we’re doing with the Russians given the tighter airspace,” Harrigian said.

Harrigian concluded acknowledging that he has personally piloted an F-22 fighter jet over Syria as part of an effort to get a better understanding of what he called “a complex, dynamic environment for air operations.”

Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Andy M. Kin and Louis Briscese / U.S. Air Force


Share this article

Dario Leone

Dario Leone

Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Share this article


Share this article
Share this article

Always up to date! News and offers delivered directly to you!

Get the best aviation news, stories and features from The Aviation Geek Club in our newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.



    Share this article
    Back to top
    My Agile Privacy
    This website uses technical and profiling cookies. Clicking on "Accept" authorises all profiling cookies. Clicking on "Refuse" or the X will refuse all profiling cookies. By clicking on "Customise" you can select which profiling cookies to activate. We and our selected ad partners can store and/or access information on your device, such as cookies, unique identifiers, browsing data. You can always choose the specific purposes related to profiling by accessing the advertising preferences panel, and you can always withdraw your consent at any time by clicking on "Manage consent" at the bottom of the page.

    List of some possible advertising permissions:

    You can consult: our list of advertising partners, the Cookie Policy and the Privacy Policy.
    Warning: some page functionalities could not work due to your privacy choices