An Israeli-Russian team will coordinate aerial and sea operations

An Israeli military officer reported Thursday that an Israeli-Russian coordination team set up to prevent the countries accidentally trading fire in Syria will be headed by their deputy armed forces chiefs and hold its first meeting by Oct. 5. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the officer said the talks would focus on aerial operations in Syria and "electromagnetic coordination” – referring to agreement not to scramble each other’s radio or radar-tracking systems and identifying each other’s forces in the heat of battle.

Israel and Russia will also coordinate sea operations off Syria's Mediterranean coast, where Moscow has a major naval base. DEBKAfile reported earlier that the two deputy chiefs would operate a hot line between them and meet in person to maintain contact.