The other day the idea of the US upping the ante in Syria was brought up and lo and behold…
Air Force F-35s sent to Middle East will help with fight in Syria, patrols of key strait
A squadron of F-35 Lightning IIs, some of the Air Force’s most advanced fighter jets, has arrived in the Middle East, where the planes will join patrols that aim to deter Iran from seizing oil tankers, the service said in a statement this week.
The jets will also be used in missions against the Islamic State in Syria, the 9th Air Force statement issued Wednesday said.
The deployment comes amid a recent buildup of forces in the Middle East after U.S. claims of Iranian ship seizures at sea and Russian provocations in the air.
Last week, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the deployment of the F-35s as well as F-16 fighter jets and the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner.
A Marine expeditionary unit was also ordered to the Middle East last week, and a squadron of A-10 Thunderbolt II “Warthogs” arrived in March.
The role of these newly deployed additional forces is to “deter Iranian destabilizing activities in the region,” Army Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla said last week.
Kurilla, the head of U.S. Central Command, was referring to U.S. claims that Iran has harassed ships in the key waterway known as the Strait of Hormuz.
US claims– The US has made many claims..
The Pentagon says it has stepped up patrols over the strait. Iran has been accused by the U.S.of attacking, seizing or trying to seize nearly 20 internationally flagged merchant vessels over the past two years.
Iran has been accused by the US….(narrative creation)
The F-35s, flown by the 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron out of Hill Air Force Base, Utah, will partner with A-10s and F-16s already there in monitoring the strait, the 9th Air Force statement said.
“The F-35’s increased capacity and capability will allow the U.S. to fly in contested airspace across the theater if required,” it said.
Some 900 American troops are deployed to fight ISIS, but the U.S. accuses Russia of harassing its drones in Syria and placing its aircraft and pilots there at risk.
On Sunday, a Russian fighter jet flying at close range fired flares at a U.S. drone and severely damaged its propeller, the Air Force said in a statement this week.
The White House said Wednesday that a second Russian aircraft had flown “dangerously close” to another U.S. drone in the skies over Syria this week, The Associated Press reported.
Too much is at stake for the US. This is their remake of the Middle East/North Africa- long planned and in motion to counter the China led Silk Road. The creation of Greater Kurdistan, which is not coincidentally, favoured heavily by Israel.
5 replies on “Syria: More US Involvement”
Hi Penny,
It will be interesting to follow the initial ‘real world’ deployment of the vastly over budget, much troubled and long delayed F-35. Right now American pilots are gaining invaluable field experience with just how non-stealthy these “stealth” aircraft are. These pilots must get used to the cold chill of foreboding when that persistent buzzing sound occurs and the red light flashes indicating that enemy air to air missiles have locked onto target. Hopefully Tom Cruise will be there to save them in a 1980’s F-16.
first laugh of the morning 🙂
Tom Cruise in his top gun f-16!!!
immediate imagery popped in my head of his face.
(over rated actor)
Anyway, yes, hopefully he can save them!
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/russia-says-us-led-coalition-violated-syrian-airspace-8-times-in-1-day/2956273
The United States-led coalition in Syria violated Syrian airspace eight times over the past day, a senior Russian military official said Thursday.
Rear Admiral Oleg Gurinov, the head of the Russian military’s Reconciliation Center in Syria, said that all of the violations occurred in the Al-Tanf region in Homs governorate, which serves as a passage for international air routes.
“Eight violations of Syrian airspace by three pairs of F-16 fighter jets, one pair of Rafale fighter jets and one pair of coalition Typhoon fighter jets were recorded in the area of Al-Tanf,” Gurinov said.
In addition, drones of the international anti-terrorist coalition led by the US violated deconfliction protocols 15 times over the past day, he noted.
The US is an occupying force that has never been invited to Syria- that’s a fact
They are present and occupying alongside the PKK and stealing Syrian resources (after ethnic cleansing a vast swathe of the nation)
Do you think that brilliant NATO strategists are trying for some kind of aerial PR success in the Syrian theater to offset the debacle in the Ukraine ?
Playing chicken with the whole world held hostage. That game is so 1960’s, didn’t work then, won’t work now. The Russians won’t flinch.
Could be? Can’t ever put anything past them.
The deconfliction protocols have been in place for years- The US is very aware of them. (As is Russia)
My first thought on the news of the US jet damage, was, the Russian jet had actually warned the American plane off.
It seems to me the US is trying to keep their occupation and occupying force in tact in Syria. They don’t want the refugees back- because they’ll inevitable displace the proxies- Turkey’s load will be lightened. Never mind the possibility of Erdogan and Assad shaking hands
Neighbours working out differences is not what the US wants- they want to exploit the differences, exacerbate them and create open festering wounds