EASA informs airlines of missile launches from the Caspian Sea to Syria

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is informing airlines of missile launches from the Caspian Sea to Syria.

EASA was informed from public sources of several launches of missiles from warships, located in the Caspian Sea, to Syria on 06 and 07 October 2015. Before reaching Syria, such missiles are necessarily crossing the airspace above Caspian Sea, Iran and Iraq, below flight routes which are used by commercial transport aeroplanes.

EASA issued a Safety Information Bulletin (SIB) to inform airlines of this hazard. EASA will amend the SIB if more specific information is received related to that situation.

Russian news channel RT quoted Russia’s Defense Minister, saying that four Russian Navy warships have fired a total of 26 missiles at the position of the terrorist group Islamic State in Syria. The missiles were fired from the Caspian Sea. RT states that these launches involved 3M-54 Kalibr type cruise missiles. Flight altitude of these missiles would be 5-15 m.