In a statement released on April 21, Colonel Joe Buccino, spokesman for the US military's Central Command (CENTCOM), confirmed that Russia had launched a short-range air defense missile from the Pantsir-S1 complex at a US MQ-9 Reaper drone in Syria in 2022. However, the missile missed its target and the US aircraft was still able to return to base safely.
"We confirm that a Russian-operated SA-22 (NATO reporting name for the Pantsir-S1) system launched a missile at a US MQ-9 UAV on November 27, 2022," Buccino said.
According to information obtained from leaked US classified documents, the Pantsir-S1 missile system is located at the Qamishli air base in northeastern Syria. This is a regular area of operation of the Russian military in recent years. The Qamishli area and surrounding towns have also witnessed frequent clashes between US and Russian ground forces in the area.
CENTCOM has not yet released details or the circumstances that led to the incident. However, a CENTCOM spokesperson said that immediately after the incident, officers from this force contacted Russia via a hotline to discuss and de-escalate the situation. Colonel Buccino also affirmed that incidents like this "do not happen on a regular basis."
The US currently maintains about 900 troops in Syria to prevent the rise of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization as well as to support security for allies in the region. US forces in Syria are under the command of CENTCOM.
About Pantsir-S1, this is a modern anti-aircraft missile and artillery complex of the Russian army. This complex was designed by the KBP design bureau and put into use since 2003, with the main task of destroying short- and medium-range enemy aircraft targets. Mounted on a tracked or wheeled chassis, Pantsir-S1 is equipped with automatic anti-aircraft guns and surface-to-air missiles to attack enemy aircraft targets. Pantsir-S1 complex is controlled and guided by extremely sensitive radars, optical equipment for tracking targets and computer systems inside the command post.
The MQ-9 Reaper ("Evil Bird") is one of the main unmanned combat aircraft of the US military, manufactured by contractor General Atomics. This type of UAV is often used in reconnaissance missions and attacking targets with high-precision weapons. Currently, the MQ-9 Reaper is equipped with powerful weapons such as AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank guided missiles, GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs as well as AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.
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