NATO mulls deploying AWACS ‘against Daesh’

NATO weighs deploying sophisticated AWACS surveillance aircraft to Iraq and Syria to fight Daesh, but observers believe it is aimed at Russia which is carrying out airstrikes in support of the Syrian government.

According to Press TV, NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday that the surveillance aircraft could be flown over “NATO territory and international airspace” to help the fight against Daesh.

AWACS are aircraft with powerful radars that allow them to monitor airspace for hundreds of kilometers around.

The use of such a complicated system against Daesh and other terrorists, as claimed by the US and NATO, is questionable.

The system is designed to detect aircraft, ships and vehicles at long ranges and control and command the battle space in an air engagement by directing fighter and attack aircraft strikes.

According to Stoltenberg, the deployment of AWACS aircraft comes at the request of US which is opposed to the Syrian government.

In February, the alliance agreed “in principle” to the US request under the caveat that NATO planes would not be directly involved in the conflict.

Several European NATO members have been wary of becoming too involved in the bloody conflict.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Thursday that "explicit and formal involvement" of NATO in the fight "is certainly not the answer."

ME