US Sends F-22s to Mideast to Counter Russian Forces Acting 'Unsafely' in Syria

Syrian media report regularly on the looting of the nation’s oil and food resources by US forces and their Syrian Democratic Forces militia allies. American troops arrived in the country in 2016, establishing a network of about a dozen illegal bases in the country, most of them east of the Euphrates River.

The US Air Force has deployed F-22 Raptor fighter jets in the Middle East to counter Russian forces.

In a Wednesday tweet, CENTCOM – the US combatant command responsible for US military operations in the Middle East – described the deployment as a "multifaceted show of US support and capability in the wake of increasingly unsafe and unprofessional behavior by Russian aircraft in the region."

Where in the region? CENTCOM didn't specify. The only place in the Middle East where Russian military aircraft regularly operate is Syria, receiving an invitation from Syria’s internationally recognized government to do so, unlike the US.

CENTCOM expects the F-22 deployment to demonstrate “the US’ ability to re-posture forces and deliver overwhelming power at a moment’s notice,” and said that “while in the CENTCOM area,” the 94th Fighter Squadron Raptors, typically stationed at Langley Air Force Base 11,000 kilometers away, “will integrate with coalition forces on the ground and in the air.”

CENTCOM Commander General Michael 'Erik' Kurilla accused Russian Aerospace Forces of engaging in "unsafe and unprofessional behavior" against their US counterparts, and said this was "not what we expect from a professional air force." Russia's alleged "regular violation of agreed upon airspace deconfliction measures increases the risk of escalation or miscalculation," Kurilla said.

The commander did not elaborate in the release on the nature of these alleged Russian violations.

It’s worth reiterating Russian and Syrian military aircraft are the only ones operating over Syrian airspace in full compliance with international law. The US, its coalition allies, Israel and Turkiye do so illegally, with the Syrian government not approving the deployment of these foreign air forces in its airspace.

Getting to the bottom of what alleged "unsafe and unprofessional" Russian air activity referred to by CENTCOM requires trawling through recent news reports.

In late March, CENTCOM Combined Forces Air Component Commander Alexus Grynkewich told US media that Russian planes had flown over the Syrian airspace of the illegal US garrison at al-Tanf, some 25 times that month.

In April, CENTCOM released footage of Russian planes intercepting American jets in Syria, citing it as evidence of Russian violations of "Coalition Force airspace," Orwellian terminology used to refer to Syrian airspace which the US unilaterally deemed restricted, including to Syria's own military. In late April, Grynkewich accused Russian aircraft of "aggressively maneuvering, almost like they’re trying to dogfight."

"We're not going to act like they are. We’re going to act in a professional manner, and we’re going to try to de-escalate the situation," the US commander said at the time.

Russia’s Defense Ministry challenged the Pentagon’s narrative on events in Syria last month, saying it was the US side which has engaged in the violation of flight safety protocols, including the activation of weapons systems to target Russian jets. In April, the Russian military calculated that coalition aviation and drones had violated the Russian-US memorandum on flight safety 665 times in the first four months of 2023.

In May, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service reported that its US counterparts were planning to use jihadist militants to attack "crowded places, shops and government agencies" in Syrian government-controlled areas of the country. Syria and its Russian and Iranian allies have repeatedly charged Washington with the training of jihadist rebel remnants at its Syrian bases – primarily at al-Tanf. US officials have avoided commenting on these allegations.