Another US MQ-9 Reaper UAV was almost shot down by Russia in Syria

According to EurAsian Times, a US official revealed to Air & Space Force Magazine that a Russian surface-to-air missile nearly hit a US MQ-9 Reaper drone in Syria in November 2022.

The missile exploded just 15 meters from the drone, damaging it. The incident has increased tensions between US and Russian forces in the complex region.

Although the US disclosed the Russian SA-22 Pantsir surface-to-air missile attack on its MQ-9 Reaper drone in Syria, they did not disclose the extent of the damage. The source said the drone returned to base and landed safely.

Last month, the Washington Post was the first to report the incident, citing one of the leaked Pentagon documents.

Another US MQ-9 Reaper UAV was almost shot down by Russia in Syria - 1 — MQ-9 Reaper drone.

However, the latest report explains that the cause of the damage to the MQ-9 Reaper drone was due to the warhead of the SA-22 Pantsir surface-to-air missile exploding near the aircraft.

The MQ-9 drone evaded the missile strike and returned to base. The report also confirmed that no further similar missile launches occurred.

Following the November 2022 incident in Syria, the leaked document report noted that US military officials reached out to Russian commanders to de-escalate the conflict through military communication lines between the two sides.

Most recently, in March 2023, another worrying incident involving a US MQ-9 Reaper drone occurred over the Black Sea. A Russian Su-27 fighter jet sprayed fuel on the drone, causing it to crash into the Black Sea.

Declassified video from the drone's camera, later released by the US Department of Defense, shows the Russian jet approaching and dumping fuel on the UAV.

With the drone’s propellers badly damaged, the operators had no choice but to crash the aircraft into the sea. The incident has increased tensions between Russia and the United States.

Another US MQ-9 Reaper UAV was almost shot down by Russia in Syria - 2 — SA-22 Pantsir surface-to-air missile.

Russia “lures” US aircraft into air combat in Syria

As tensions between Russia and the US continue to escalate, US officials previously revealed that Russian pilots were conducting aggressive exercises in Syrian airspace and provoking US bases.

A spokesman for the US Central Command recently said that Russian pilots have been behaving increasingly “aggressively” in the skies over Syria, including staging mock “dogfights” with US jets.

The US military official noted that the Russian pilots were not trying to shoot down the US aircraft. Instead, they may have been trying to provoke the US and draw them into an international incident.

The US maintains a significant military presence in Syria, with about 900 troops stationed in the east to support local forces in the ongoing fight against remnants of IS.

On the other hand, Russian forces remain active in Syria, supporting the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad in the conflict against various rebel groups.

Another US MQ-9 Reaper UAV was almost shot down by Russia in Syria - 3 — Loading an aircraft with bombs at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, April 18, 2022. (Photo: US Air Force)

According to US commanders, although Washington and Moscow have established a number of protocols to prevent possible clashes between the two countries' aircraft in Syrian airspace, it appears that Russian fighter jets have repeatedly violated this agreement.

According to Air Force Central, there have been more than 85 such incidents since March 1, 2022, including more than two dozen armed flights by the US military.

Furthermore, US officials have deemed the Russian aircraft's "aggressive" actions as dangerous as they flew within 200 meters of US aircraft, leading to concerns that Russia may be trying to provoke an international incident.

In addition to the threat from Russian forces, the US is also facing fierce resistance from Iranian-backed militants in Syria, most recently in a missile attack on a base in northeastern Syria that killed an American contractor.

Following the missile attack on March 23, two US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles conducted a counterattack on bases associated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

The US has established an air force center to support the campaign against IS through combat air operations and patrols. This command is currently equipped with modern aircraft such as A-10, F-16 and F-15E and MQ-9 to meet the minimum requirements for combat aircraft.

Le Hung (Source: EurAsian Times)

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