Rapid Raptor: Pentagon Sends F-22s to Middle East & Counter Russian Su-35 Provocations in Syria

by Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization 

(Washington DC) 

Russian Su-35 4th-generation aircraft aggressively approached within a dangerously close distance to several US F-16s over Syria, violating long-established protocol intended to ensure miscommunication or conflict was avoided between the two great powers operating in the same air space. 

The advanced Russian fighter jets . veered “dangerously” close to the F-16 in a transparent attempt to intimidate or harass US aircraft. 

The arrival of US Air Force F-22s at an undisclosed base in the Middle East is a major development placing 5th-generation stealth aircraft in close proximity to Iranian and Syrian airspace where Russian fighter jets have been provoking US F-16s.

Both Russian and US fighter jets operate in the skies above Syria given the ongoing conflict in the area, yet there have been clear, measurable guidelines and restrictions in place to ensure stability between the two great powers and prevent the possibility of a miscalculation or unintended conflict. However, US Central Command is clear that it is deploying F-22s as a security measure given “unprofessional” and provocative behavior by Russian fighter jets over Syria.

Several US Air Force videos released in April show two Russian Su-35s veering dangerously close to US F-16s, incidents caught on camera by F-16 cameras. When discussing the incident on NBC news, Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, Combined Forces Air Component Commander for US Central Command, said Russian planes dangerously came within 500-feet of US F-16. This is a direct and flagrant violation of existing rules and protocol which specify a need for “miles wide” deconfliction zones, according to an essay in the Air Force Times, which also says US and Russian air commanders share a “hotline” to discuss and avoid miscalculations.

Multiple news reports speculate that the Russian provocations are in part related to its growing connection with Iran given Iran’s support to Russia in its war with Ukraine. An interesting essay from Maya Carlin in 1945 says Tehran has become a leading supplier of unmanned combat systems to Russian during the Ukraine war, a fact which may help explain why Russia appears to be showing greater solidarity with Iran.