Syrian jets and surface-to-air missile systems again locked onto Turkish F-16s, according to news reports.
Here's an excerpt from an Associated Press account from Sunday:
"Turkey's military said two Syrian jets and surface-to-air missile systems based in Syria locked radars on three F-16 jets patrolling the Turkish-Syrian border, in a new incident of harassment of Turkish planes from Syria."
The article didn't specify what kind of jets or SAMs were involved, though CNN several days ago reported that a pair of MiG-29 planes -- presumably belonging to the Syrian air force -- had locked onto Turkish F-16s (shown in the image above) for more than five minutes.
NATO has criticized Russian fighter jet incursions into Turkish airspace, calling the move irresponsible and dangerous.
Sukhoi Su-30 Flanker attack aircraft and Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer multi-role fighter aircraft last weekend flew over the Hatay region in the southern part of the country on the Mediterranean Sea and bordering Syria.
Russia has shown no signs of letting up its military action in the country to prop up the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Indeed, its recent barrage of cruise missile strikes into Syria were designed in part to publicize its advances in developing the technology, at least one analyst said.
Meanwhile, Syria is equipped with numerous Russia-made surface-to-air missile systems, including the SA-2, SA-3 and SA-5 static launchers and SA-6, SA-8, SA-10 and SA-11 mobile launchers, along with anti-aircraft batteries.
