US and Russian air forces face close calls over Syria

The US is voicing growing alarm that the way Russian pilots fly in Syria could lead to a mishap or even a US jet shooting down a Russian warplane.

Defence officials highlighted several recent close calls with Russian planes, including one on Wednesday, when a pair of US F-22s intercepted two Russian jets over a part of Syria in which, the Pentagon said, they were not meant to be.

The increased number of encounters came as operations by the US-led coalition fighting ISIL in Syria have shrunk to an area of about 39 square kilometres around Albu Kamal in eastern Syria, by the Iraq border.

US coalition forces are giving air support to Kurdish and Syrian Arab partners on the ground as they root out ISIL fighters east of the Euphrates River.

Under a verbal agreement, the Russians, who support president Bashar Al Assad, are to stay to the west.

Lt Col Damien Pickart, a US air force spokesman, said there was a string of instances where Russian fighter jets flew east of the Euphrates without notifying the coalition.

On November 15, two US A-10s nearly collided head on with a Russian Su-24 – a whisker in aviation terms.

One A-10 pilot had to “aggressively execute a defensive manoeuvre to avoid a mid-air collision,” Lt Col Pickart said.

On November 17, two F-22s intercepted a Russian Su-24 that flew over coalition and partner forces three times and failed to respond to radio call.

“The F-22s intercepted this pilot and were in a position to fire,” Lt Col Pickart said.

“Luckily our pilots showed restraint, but given the actions of the Su-24 aircraft could have reasonably been interpreted as threatening to US forces, our pilots would have been well within our rights to engage.”

US defence secretary Jim Mattis said that it was not clear if the incidents were a mistake due to inexperience, or the product of boisterous young pilots “dangerously feeling their oats”.

“I don’t expect perfection, but I don’t expect dangerous manoeuvres either and so we’ll sort this out,” Mr Mattis said.

“Right now, I cannot tell you if it’s sloppy airmanship, rambunctious pilots or people who are trying to do something that is very unwise.”

Since Russia entered the Syria war in late 2015, it and the US have been using a special “deconfliction” hotline to communicate about operations occurring in similar locations. Officials use the line constantly.

The shooting down of a Russian jet, or a midair collision, could suddenly and dramatically shift the stakes in the Syria conflict and bring on retaliatory measures by the Russians.

“The coalition’s greatest concern is that we could shoot down a Russian aircraft because its actions are seen as a threat to our air or ground forces,” Lt Col Pickart said.

“We are not here to fight the Russians and Syrians – our focus remains on defeating ISIS. That said, if anyone threatens coalition or friendly partner forces in the air or on the ground, we will defend them.”

During and following Wednesday’s encounter, coalition leaders contacted Russian officers on a special hotline to try to calm the situation and avert a “strategic miscalculation”, Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon said.