U.S. Officials Announce F-22 Deployment, Citing ‘Provocative’ Russian Air Action
The U.S. military has sent more fighter jets to the Middle East in response to ‘Increasingly unsafe’ Russian aircraft activity in the region, including several incidents in Syria.
The F-22 Raptors of the 94th Fighter Squadron were deployed from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, according to Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, Central Asia and parts of Africa.
the decision is “A multifaceted display of U.S. support and capabilities in the wake of increasingly unsafe and unprofessional behavior by Russian aircraft,” CENTCOM said in a press release on Wednesday.
Pentagon officials have accused Moscow of recklessly flying over U.S. bases in Syria in recent weeks, Central Command chief Gen. “significant spike” exist “provocative” Actions since March.
Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich warned in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in April that an escalation of tensions could lead to “Misjudgment” Russian and American pilots flying missions in Syria said there were 60 incidents between March and April alone.
Moscow has similarly accused Washington of unprofessional behavior in Syria.Last month, Rear Admiral Oleg Gurinov, deputy director of Russia’s Center for Reconciliation of the Warring Parties in Syria, said the U.S. warplanes continued to commit to “serious violation” A decollision protocol in place.
“U.S. Air Force pilots continued to activate weapon systems during airborne approach with Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft on a planned flight in eastern Syria,” the official added.
The United States currently maintains about 900 ground troops in Syria and operates a network of air bases in the region.The deployment of the new aircraft also comes after Central Command said it would bolster U.S. forces “Defensive Posture” Has additional naval assets in Middle East, vows to enforce “Strengthened Patrols” response in the persian gulf “Destabilizing” Tehran’s actions.
You can share this story on social media:
