
© Dmitriy Vinogradov / RIA Novosti
Russian aircraft bombing Islamic State (IS, ISIS/ISIL) in Syria do not present a hazard to American drones, Pentagon spokesperson Michelle Baldanza told Russian media. Meanwhile, NORAD's chief has found a new challenge in Russian cruise missiles.
"At no time did the [US-led anti-IS] Coalition [in Syria] feel our remotely piloted aircraft were threatened and we expect Russian pilots to act in a responsible, professional manner if they encounter any coalition aircraft. Coalition forces remain focused and committed to our mission to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL," Baldanza told RIA Novosti on Wednesday.
The statement comes after the Pentagon said
at least one American military aircraft was forced to divert its route when flying over Syrian airspace in order to avoid making contact with a Russian warplane, as reported by AP, citing US military spokesperson Naval Captain Jeff Davis.
Davis could not provide any more details, except that
some US air operations had had to be changed since Russia began its air campaign. Unconfirmed American media reports also claimed that Russian fighter jets "intercepted" US MQ-1 Predator drones over Syria. Details, however, suggested that the drones' flight paths were not hampered despite close fly-bys.
Comment: See also: