Airforces

6 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com

NEWS

// FEBRUARY 2018 #

Headlines

F-22s ‘chase

off’ Russian

Su-25s in Syria

A PAIR of US Air Force

F-22As intercepted Russian

Su-25 combat aircraft that

entered a restricted area in

Syria on December 13. The

Raptors launched warning

flares during a 40-minute

encounter before the

Russian jets left the area.

According to Air Forces

Central Command

spokesman, Lieutenant

Colonel Damien Pickart,

the two Su-25s crossed

a “de-confliction line”

established by the US and

Russia near Abu Kamal

to keep their ground

forces separate near the

Euphrates River. The

Frogfoot pair was “promptly

intercepted” by F-22s that

were providing air cover for

ground forces in the area.

The F-22s “conducted

multiple manoeuvres to

persuade the Su-25s

to depart our conflicted

airspace” including the

release of chaff and flares

“in close proximity” to

the Russian jets, Pickart

said. At one point, a

Russian jet flew so close

to an F-22 that it had to

“aggressively manoeuvre”

to avoid a collision, he

said. Meanwhile, US

officials contacted their

Russian counterparts via an

established de-confliction

line, the spokesman said.

The Russian defence

ministry denied the

interception of the two

Su-25s. A statement on

social media said that the

attack aircraft were “flying

at a height of 3,300m over

a humanitarian convoy [and]

escorting it in the area of

Mayadin city on the western

bank of the Euphrates.”

They were then reportedly

approached by an F-

from the eastern bank. The

Russian account accused

the F-22 of “interfering” with

the Su-25s by releasing

flares. “A Russian Su-35S

fighter which was carrying

out an air cover task at a

height of 10,000m rapidly

approached the F-

from the rear aspect and

after that the American

fighter left the area”, the

statement concluded.

Above: An F-22A receives fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 447th Air Expeditionary Group during a refuelling

mission over Syria on December 1. USAF/SSgt Paul Labbe

Boeing

unveils

MQ-

offering

BOEING HAS released

the first imagery of its

proposal for the US

Navy’s MQ-25 Stingray

Unmanned Carrier

Aviation Air System

(UCAAS) competition. A

first full photo appeared

on December 19 and

was followed by a

‘teaser’ video on January

3. Developed by the
   company’s Phantom
   Works advanced
   programmes division,
   the prototype drone
   features a notably stealthy
   profile with a blended
   wing-body-tail design
   and a canted V-tail.
   Boeing spokesperson
   Deborah VanNierop
   described the Boeing
   MQ-25 design as being
   primarily intended for aerial
   refuelling, but said it also
   had the potential to add
   intelligence, surveillance
   and reconnaissance
   (ISR) capabilities. The
   Boeing MQ-25 offering
   is completing engine
   runs and will begin deck
   handling demonstrations
   early this year.
   The US Navy issued its
   final request for proposals
   in October and proposals
   were due to be submitted
   to the programme office
   at Naval Air Systems
   Command on January 3.
   The other contenders in
   the UCAAS competition
   are General Atomics
   Aeronautical Systems and
   Lockheed Martin, after
   Northrop Grumman’s
   withdrawal last October
   (see Northrop Grumman
   leaves MQ-25 programme,
   December 2017, p6).

Boeing