Brussels, May 20 (RHC)-- 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.  

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 militants, as claimed by the U.S. 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 the U.S. which is opposed to the Syrian government.  Observers believe such a deployment could fuel tensions between NATO and Russia, which regards the alliance’s eastward military buildup as a threat to its strategic interests.