The Russian air force has been shadowing German jets over Syria, according regional daily newspaper Rheinische Post.
Germany joined the US-led coalition in December after an appeal by French President Francois Hollande. Germany had voted to send 1,200 military personnel, Tornado jets, refuelling aircraft and a frigate.
According to the Bundeswehr, Russian military aircraft in Syria regularly pursue German jets on reconnaissance missions.
German jets do not take part in combat missions, flying solely “intelligence extraction” sorties, performing “surgically-tactical reconnaissance” and high-resolution imaging.
General Lieutenant Joachim Wundrak dismissed the suggestion that Russia could be trying to prevent Germany from carrying out its objectives, explaining that “to this day there have been no incidents.” However, the German officer said the encounters were a deliberate political move by Moscow to make its presence known.
The German Air Force has a strength of 28,508 personnel, it is the fourth largest air force within the European Union, after the air forces of the United Kingdom, France and Italy.
They have got to learn somehow
this could be the sort of thing that could trigger a nasty incident if there happens to be any sort of collision…
Semantics maybe but in present contentious times I think I would have preferred that you sized the air forces of the UK, France, Italy and Germany in a NATO European context… not the EU! 🙂
Perhaps not news as to who has the largest in NATO?
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Hopefully the Luftwaffe is man enough to deploy some Eurofighter Typhoons to check any Russian jet. Tornado’s aren’t suited to air to air combat.
Tornado’s are very well suited to the task of recon though. Which is the only task the Luftwaffe have that’s approved by the German government. Russia probably know that to allow armed Typhoon’s to escort the Tornado’s would require further approval from the German people/government which takes time and could prove controversial…
All in all the Russians shadowing the German Jets is more a political move than a military one.
“Man enough”? How old are you?!
That is, if they can pool enough resources together to sustain their fleet, they’ve had a number of servicing issues with all of their combat aircraft
I hope even if there is an incident, the party’s involved stay cool.
What’s up with German jets, guns and missile jammed? shoot the terrorist russian jets down!; the russian jets are blasting children and refugees, even in hospitals. NATO is not protecting the civilians on the border with Turkey (NATO country?); allowing the Assad Genocide to continue.
Im no Military planner or General but if your solution is to start war with Russia and potentially WW3, then perhaps it be best to devise a military strategy, rather than start blasting Russian jets out of the sky when they start shadowing friendly jets?