Russia buzzing the fleet- sea change or normal ops?

hawk

ButterBar Dad
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Not a new thing, but the recent buzzing of a destroyer by Russian attack planes in an attack type run is certainly interesting:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-denies-simulate-attack-on-u-s-navy-destroyer-uss-donald-cook/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...t-history-of-russian-jets-buzzing-navy-ships/

Clearly we are sitting just off the coast, which is provocative at the least.

At the same time, this is also not "normal flight operations" to do a possible attack profile run within 30' of an armed destroyer.

Makes one wonder if:
- The destroyer Captain just kept his cool?
- Their rules of engagement required no action?
- Caught them by surprise? (unlikely, as they were able to video the run)

Not knowing the normal attack flight profile of an SU-24, it's not clear to me if this was just wannabe Tom Cruise antics or a fake attack run to test response and get intel.
 
Check out the "ramming" incident from 1988. I think it was USS Yorktown and a Russian patrol boat.
 
Clearly we are sitting just off the coast, which is provocative at the least.

Kaliningrad is right there next to Poland, so it is similar to the incident in the Black Sea a couple of years ago. Testing newly modernized military might. Putin flexing his manhood. Age old Russian paranoia.

I'd say the Captain kept his cool. I'm no military guy but I don't think you can kill someone for being rude. Of course the video of that Gatling gun/cannon shooting down the plane would be pretty cool.

Having spent two weeks in Poland last month, I can tell you that this incident will be front and center for the Poles. They take a measured approach to Putin's adventurism, but their historical memories are like a steel trap. They remember the treachery as well as the abandonment. They also remember their commitment to our OIF enterprise.

This magazine was sitting on my Best Man's coffee table:

20160310_222534_resized_1.jpg

The headline reads: God, protect America
Donald Trump admires Putin
Will the US leave us all by ourselves?

Bear in mind, that magazine was published three weeks before Trump ran his mouth about the utility of NATO.
 
N
Clearly we are sitting just off the coast, which is provocative at the least.

Hell, we would be provocative to them and the Chinese off any Coast.

At the same time, this is also not "normal flight operations" to do a possible attack profile run within 30' of an armed destroyer.
.

Being of Polish descent (Katyn Forest and other atrocities), they will always push our resolve.
 
1981 I was there on a destroyer, exact same stuff.
Although we would get close to the Russian naval formations,
The Captain would order "signal loss of steering control", then " right full rudder"
Scattering the Russians as we plowed through.
Also we would build contraptions out of steel drums and rat guards, put them up on the O2 level and wait for the Polish helicopter to come along to take pictures and moon them when the did.
Ah, memories.
 
1981 I was there on a destroyer, exact same stuff.
Although we would get close to the Russian naval formations,
The Captain would order "signal loss of steering control", then " right full rudder"
Scattering the Russians as we plowed through.
Also we would build contraptions out of steel drums and rat guards, put them up on the O2 level and wait for the Polish helicopter to come along to take pictures and moon them when the did.
Ah, memories.
Yes indeed, and we used to open our fuel dumps over the AGI that was in the wake of the aircraft carrier, "meaconing" our ACLS system...
 
The AGIs would pick up the trash we dumped.
We often "prepared" specials trash bags for them.
 
We flew form on a Bear F in 87, when the Russian aft observer dropped trou and mooned us. My pilot got on guard and said "Someone needs a shave."
 
Based on the photo of the Su-24 doing his Ivan Flyby, that was no attack profile. An anti-ship attack profile is done a long way out with a missile launch and the aircraft stays a respectful distance from the defense weapons of a Yankee destroyer. He was giving an airshow for the troops.
 
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