Pentagon: Russia Opens New Syrian Base; No US-Russia Joint Exercise

Pentagon spokesperson Capt. Jeff Davis denied Russian media reports that the U.S. and Russia conducted a joint training exercise over Syria today, saying that they did do a communications test but there was no exercise, NBC News reported.

Davis said that at roughly noon Qatar time one U.S. fighter aircraft conducted a three-minute planned communications test with one Russian fighter aircraft in the skies of south central Syria —as part of the provisions of a flight safety memorandum of understanding agreed to by both nations.

"The test was conducted. This test was a prudent measure solely to ensure that, in the event coalition aircraft encounter a Russian aircraft during operations in Syria, one of the established and agreed upon modes of communication in the agreement functioned," Davis said in a statement.

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