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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Apr 14, 2016 17:07:23 GMT 12
from The Washington Post....What it looks like when Russian attack jets fly ‘dangerously close’ to a Navy shipBy DAN LAMOTHE | 3:10PM EDT - Wednesday, April 13, 2016RUSSIAN attack jets flew “dangerously close” to a U.S. Navy destroyer numerous times in the Baltic Sea this week, according to U.S. officials, continuing a pattern of behavior in the region that the Defense Department has previously decried.
The incidents occurred on Monday and Tuesday, with the planes making multiple passes by the USS Donald Cook, a destroyer, while it was traveling in international waters, U.S. European Command officials said in a statement released on Wednesday afternoon. The organization released videos that show the jets roaring by at a high rate of speed, seemingly no more than a few hundred feet away.
“We have deep concerns about the unsafe and unprofessional Russian flight maneuvers,” European Command said. “These actions have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions between countries, and could result in a miscalculation or accident that could cause serious injury or death. U.S. officials are using existing diplomatic channels to address the interactions, while the incidents are also being reviewed through U.S. Navy channels.”
Admiral John Richardson, the chief of naval operations, called the maneuvers unprofessional and credited the crew on the Donald Cook for how they handled themselves.
“Bravo Zulu to the crew of USS Donald Cook for their initiative and toughness in how they handled themselves during this incident,” the admiral said on Facebook.
The first incident occurred on April 11th while the destroyer was carrying out deck landing drills with a military helicopter from Poland. The Russian jets made “numerous, close-range and low-altitude passes” around 3 p.m., one of which was deemed unsafe by the Donald Cook's commanding officer, Commander Charles E. Hampton. As a safety precaution, flight operations were suspending until the Su-24s departed, military officials said.An Su-24 Russian attack jet roars by the USS Donald Cook in the Baltic Sea. — Photograph released by U.S. European Command.A Russian KA-27 Helix helicopter pulls circles around the USS Donald Cook in the Baltic Sea on April 12th, 2016. — Photograph released by U.S. European Command.The following day, a Russian KA-27 Helix helicopter conducted seven circles at low altitude around the American ship about 5 p.m. About 40 minutes later, two unarmed Su-24 jets made 11 close-range and low-altitude passes by the ship, flying in “simulated attack profile” while ignoring repeated safety advisories issued by the destroyer in both English and Russian, European Command said.
The incidents are “entirely inconsistent with the professional norms of militaries operating in proximity to each other in international waters and international airspace,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said on Wednesday.
“There have been repeated incidents over the last year where the Russian military, including Russian military aircraft, have come close enough to each other or have come close enough to other air and sea traffic to raise serious safety concerns, and we continue to be concerned about this behavior,” Earnest said.
Russian planes have buzzed numerous ships over the past two years in the region, including the Donald Cook in the Black Sea nearly two years ago to the day.
The incident occurred as Washington and Moscow continue to clash on how to handle military operations in Syria and Ukraine. Army Colonel Steve Warren, a spokesman for the U.S. military campaign in Iraq and Syria, told reporters on Wednesday in a briefing from Baghdad that he heard “the Russians are up to their old tricks again” in the European region, but did not provide additional details.Click on the image to view the Tweet.The news was first reported on Wednesday morning by The Wall Street Journal.
The Donald Cook recently made a stop in the Polish port of Gdynia, according to a statement by the U.S. Embassy in Poland. The ship is one of four that the Navy sent forward recently from the United States to boost security in Europe. It carries an arsenal that includes rocket launchers, anti-submarine missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles.• Dan Lamothe covers national security for The Washington Post and anchors its military blog, Checkpoint.__________________________________________________________________________ Read more on this topic:
• Top Navy admiral releases new plan to stay ahead of rivals at sea and prepare for combatwww.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/04/13/russian-air-force-buzzed-u-s-navy-destroyer-repeatedly-in-baltic-sea
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 14, 2016 17:13:02 GMT 12
That's not aggressive, it's cool.
If it was being aggressive it would be over the horizon firing weapons and the boat wouldn't know what hit it.
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Post by skyhawkdon on Apr 14, 2016 18:25:44 GMT 12
Good (free) training for the ship's air defence systems and operators! Our A-4s flew lower and closer to warships than that.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 14, 2016 19:58:22 GMT 12
But the A-4's were probably a little more expected to show up
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 14, 2016 20:00:24 GMT 12
It really makes me wonder what that US Navy ship was up to in order to get buzzed like that. The Russians must suspect them of something.
Or is this just another part of the big scheme that the overlords are playing to take the world back into a Cold War so they can make even more money?
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Apr 14, 2016 20:08:46 GMT 12
Wait until the reign of President Donald Trump!!
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Post by craig on Apr 15, 2016 6:56:01 GMT 12
How did they get so close? Maybe this rumoured Russian cloaking technology is more than a rumour
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Post by obiwan27 on Apr 15, 2016 9:43:37 GMT 12
The US ship was in the Baltic Sea, close to the Russian's back yard and the ship had just visit Poland, a key NATO ally. The Russians are trying to send a message but it should not deter the US one bit. More info here : foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/russian-attack-jets-aggressively-fly-over-u-s-destroye-1770792698"Obviously Russia does not like to see American Aegis-equipped surface combatants sailing trough the Baltic Sea, a body of water that Russia has long viewed as its own front yard. The region has become a constant flash point over the last two years, one where dangerous aerial intercepts, submarine hunts and massive war games have seemingly become the norm and not the exception." "Making the situation even more treacherous, in recent months Russia has vastly upgraded its strategic capabilities in the region. This includes the deployment of the S-400 missile system to their Russian enclave of Kaliningrad as well as Iskander ballistic missiles that are capable of delivering nuclear warheads. The range of these systems cross over multiple borders, putting the sovereignty of NATO nations at risk." The US and NATO country's should stand their ground. The Russians are just proving they have learned nothing since the Cold War ended.
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Post by ErrolC on Apr 15, 2016 10:18:04 GMT 12
How did they get so close? Maybe this rumoured Russian cloaking technology is more than a rumour There isn't any suggestion that being buzzed was a surprise, is there? The presence of photos from multiple viewpoints suggests the opposite! How do you think a ship in international waters should stop an aircraft getting close to it?
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Post by ErrolC on Apr 15, 2016 10:21:38 GMT 12
It really makes me wonder what that US Navy ship was up to in order to get buzzed like that. The Russians must suspect them of something. Or is this just another part of the big scheme that the overlords are playing to take the world back into a Cold War so they can make even more money? They suspect them of tooling around the Baltic while being equipped with the latest Ballistic Missile Defence system. Do the Russians need any reason, other than being in range?
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Post by craig on Apr 15, 2016 19:45:05 GMT 12
There isn't any suggestion that being buzzed was a surprise, is there? The presence of photos from multiple viewpoints suggests the opposite! How do you think a ship in international waters should stop an aircraft getting close to it?[/quote]
So is it normal for ships to allow potential threats to proceed as they wish unchallenged?
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Post by ErrolC on Apr 15, 2016 20:51:40 GMT 12
How do you expect them to 'challenge' the aircraft approaching, while they are in international waters? Why should the Russians pay any attention? Have you heard the audio of the US Navy aircrew a few months ago being challenged over the South China Sea?
Sent from my E6653 using proboards
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Post by dazz on Apr 15, 2016 22:06:30 GMT 12
Would have been much more effective if the right seater had been 'mooning' them on the way past!
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Post by suthg on Apr 16, 2016 22:37:14 GMT 12
It was reported they flew past up to 11 times. The crew had plenty of warning then...
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Post by 11SQNLDR on Apr 17, 2016 0:37:47 GMT 12
One would have to be an ignoramus to think a jet such as these old Sukhoi's could 'sneak up' on a modern Guided Missile Destroyer such as the Cook. It's SM-2 / SM-3 missiles are designed to shoot down ballistic missiles, these old clunkers wouldn't stand a chance at getting even close if they were considered a real threat Even a burst from one of the Phalanx systems would have turned them into confetti a couple of miles out!
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Post by craig on Apr 17, 2016 7:37:58 GMT 12
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Post by ErrolC on Apr 17, 2016 12:06:21 GMT 12
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Post by nuuumannn on Apr 17, 2016 12:10:37 GMT 12
Yes, careful not to tread in the BS. The destroyer would have detected the aircraft long before they got in visual range and the Russians would have known that. Presumably the standard radio calls would have been made to contact the aircraft, even though both were in international waters/air space. Nevertheless, a rather reckless move by the Russian jets. Evidence (if any were needed) that Putin and his approach to foreign policy is reckless and foolhardy.
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Post by craig on Apr 17, 2016 16:14:50 GMT 12
So are you saying there is essentially no counter measures available to prevent aircraft getting too close. The ship and crew just have to hope the intruder is harmless?
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Apr 17, 2016 16:30:42 GMT 12
Well I guess Russia was displaying some countermeasures because a foreign navy ship was getting too close to their part of the world.
How do you suppose the USA would react if the Russian Navy sailed down the east coast of North America, but still in international waters?
Would the Americans ignore it? Or do you think they might just react to it like the Russians reacted to the US Navy?
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