U.S. Navy Says Syria-Based Russian Su-35 Made Unsafe Approach While Intercepting P-8 Submarine Hunter

The U.S. Navy has accused the Russian Air Force of carrying out an unsafe interception of one of its P-8A Poseidon anti submarine warfare aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea, stating that the interaction was “determined to be unsafe due to the Su-35 conducting a high-speed, inverted maneuver, 25 ft. directly in front of the [P-8] mission aircraft… The crew of the P-8A reported wake turbulence following the interaction. The duration of the intercept was approximately 42 minutes.” The accusations were made on the same day that the Iranian Navy was also accused of carrying out unsafe manoeuvres near U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf - amid a period of ongoing tensions in the Middle East surrounding multiple major hotspots.

The P-8 incident is hardly the first interception of American aircraft carried out by Russian aircraft near Syrian territory, although it is one of the few incidents involving Su-35 fighters. At least four Su-35 air superiority fighters are thought to currently be deployed to Russia’s Khmeimim Airbase in Syria - complementing larger numbers of Su-30SM and Su-24M platforms. The Su-35 is Russia’s most capable fighter currently in frontline service, and was first deployed to Syria in early 2016 alongside more advanced surface to air missile systems in response to a Turkish attack on a Russian Su-24M strike fighter. The aircraft have in the past seen hostile interactions with American F-22 Raptors over Syrian skies, and have intercepted incursions by Turkish F-16s into Syrian airspace. Unconfirmed reports indicate that Su-35s have also been used, alongside Su-34 strike fighters, to intercept Israeli incursions into Syrian airspace.