American Fighter Jets ‘Head-Butt’ Russian Planes Over Syria: Reports

A four-ship formation of F-22 Raptors from the 94th Fighter Squadron and 1st Fighter Wing fly in formation over the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Carlin Leslie

U.S. fighter jets intercepted two Russian planes in Syria, a defense official said on Thursday, Dec. 14.

American F-22 jets fired flares after going across the front of the Russian planes, known as “head-butting,” and it’s meant to send a warning, the official told Fox News.

The F-22 Raptor (top) and P-51 Mustang flying in tandem at the York Air Show at Stewart International Airport in New Windsor on Aug. 30, 2015. Holly Kellum/Epoch Times

The incident occurred Wednesday near the Euphrates River in Syria, the official said.

The Russian fighter planes were flying east of the “de-confliction line” that’s designed to separate American and Russian jets, defense officials told CNN.

A Russian Su-35 jet was also involved in the encounter along with two Russian Su-25 close air support planes. It lasted “several minutes” in all, an official told CNN.

An F-22 Raptor shows the internal bays as it does a fly-by during the airshow at Joint Andrews Air Base in Maryland on Sept. 16, 2017. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images

U.S. Air Forces Central Command later confirmed the incident. The Su-25 planes “were promptly intercepted by two F-22A Raptors providing air cover for partner ground forces conducting operations to defeat ISIS,” Air Forces Central Command spokesman Lt. Col. Damien Pickart told the network.

“One Su-25 flew close enough to an F-22A that it had to aggressively maneuver to avoid a midair collision,” he told CNN and added: “during the incident, a Russian Su-35 also flew across the river and was shadowed closely by one of the F-22As.”

A Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet is displayed in Zhuhai, China, on Nov. 10, 2014. Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images

Pickart said that Russian planes have violated several agreements.

“In early November we verbally agreed through de-confliction channels that the Russians would remain west of the Euphrates River, and the coalition would operate to the east. Since agreeing to this de-confliction arrangement, the Russians have flown into our airspace on the east side of the river 6-8 times per day, or approximately 10% of the Russian and Syrian flights,” Pickart said.

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