This incident is the first collision between Russian and NATO planes since the outbreak of the Ukrainian war, which highlighted the risks of a clash that could lead to escalation as Russia and NATO forces increase the quantities of military equipment over and around the conflict arena in Ukraine.
A Russian fighter jet collided with a US Reaper drone, causing it to crash into the Black Sea, in what US forces called an "unsafe and unprofessional" interception of its aircraft in international airspace. "If the Russians' message was to intimidate us into stopping flying over the Black Sea, they have failed," said John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council.
Following the incident, the US European Command issued a statement warning that "these aggressive actions of Russian aircrews are dangerous and could lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation." While the commander of the US Air Force in Europe and Africa, General James Hecker, said, "American and allied aircraft will continue to operate in international airspace, and we call on the Russians to act professionally and safely."
On the other hand, the Russian Ministry of Defense denied any contact between one of its Su-27 fighters and an American MQ-9 Reaper that crashed in the Black Sea on Tuesday, and insisted that the drone fell on its own after losing altitude, indicating that the drone was heading towards the airspace of Crimea in the Black Sea, and that two Russian fighters took off to intercept it and did not shoot it down.
"intentional projection"
The US European Command statement said the collision occurred just after 7 a.m. on Tuesday, when two Russian Su-27 fighter jets flew to harass the MQ-9 Reaper over international waters west of Crimea. The statement said that the Russian pilots sought to disable the American plane before impact.
The US statement added: "Before the collision several times, the Su-27s dumped fuel on the MQ-9 and flew in front of it in a reckless and unprofessional manner. This incident demonstrates a lack of competence."
The statement indicated that one of the Russian fighters came into contact with the drone's propeller, "which prompted the US forces to shoot down the MQ-9 in international waters."
Not only did the collision cost the United States a $32 million machine, it sparked a race to get to the wreckage in the Black Sea. If the Russians get there first, it will be an intelligence boon, allowing their experts to delve into its bowels at leisure, she said. British Guardian newspaper .
Was it a systematic objection?
According to the Americans, the Russians have a long record of aggressive behavior. The European Command statement stated that the incident was part of "a pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots while interacting with US and allied aircraft over international airspace, including over the Black Sea."
A 2021 RAND Corporation study analyzing dozens of micro-flight incidents concluded that it was related to a policy that RAND called "coercive signals." "Moscow appears to be using coercive signals to send targeted messages about activities it finds problematic," the report said.
As Kirby said during his speech at the White House on Tuesday: "This is certainly not the first time. In recent weeks, we have seen similar interceptions."
This incident comes at a time of escalating tensions between Moscow and Washington over the war in Ukraine, as US forces use this type of drone, which is capable of directing strikes and gathering information, to provide Ukrainian forces with intelligence information about the Russian fleet in the Black Sea.
Are we witnessing an American response?
The incident marked the first collision between Russian and NATO aircraft since Russia's all-out offensive just over a year ago, but it highlighted the risks of an escalating engagement through error or miscalculation as Russia and NATO forces increase amounts of military equipment on and around the conflict zone in Ukraine.
And while Russia said through its ambassador in Washington that the presence of an American drone near its borders is considered a provocation, General David Berger , in his capacity as commander of the US Marine Corps, indicated that such scenarios as shooting down this drone are among the greatest fears of the US military due to the inability to Predicting the chain of events that could trigger it in its wake.
Experts believe that the United States must balance between activating Article 5 on NATO's escalation, which could lead the region to a direct, all-out war, and responding directly, but not including NATO, to put an end to the pattern of Russian provocations by imposing clear red lines that prevent such an incident against The United States and its allies, especially since Moscow no longer takes verbal threats seriously.
The launch of the tests of the Turkish jet "Hurjit" and the start of the countdown to its flight
The head of the Turkish Defense Industries Corporation, Ismail Demir, announced the start of ground tests for the local "Hurjit" jet training plane, indicating that the countdown to its flight in the sky had begun.
The head of the Turkish Defense Industries Corporation, Ismail Demir, announced the start of ground tests for the "Hurjit" jet trainer, which was developed with local expertise.
On Saturday, Demir posted a video clip of the plane's first test on his Twitter account.
He commented, "Yesterday, we said in the name of God, and today, God willing! Our local and national jet planes started walking, and I started counting down to fly in the sky."
Demir thanked everyone who contributed to the manufacture and testing of the plane, noting that it took off to the runway one day after the departure of the national fighter "MMU".
In 2017, the Turkish Aerospace and Aerospace Industries Company "TUSAS" launched a project to manufacture a training jet aircraft under the name "Hurjit", with the aim of training future pilots.
The plane will replace its counterpart, the T38, which the Turkish Air Force uses to train its pilots.
It is expected that some of the "Hurjit" aircraft will be armed as light attack aircraft, which will be used to provide air support in Turkey and nearby areas.