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[Phantast2k]

Russian Jets 'Simulated Attack' On US Warship

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkkCZwiENh8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5deRj1umjM0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-pLgvJULOM

source

Two Russian warplanes flew "simulated attack profiles" this week near an American guided missile destroyer in international waters off Russia, US officials say.

The apparently unarmed Russian Su-24 jets came so close to the USS Donald Cook they created "a wake in the water", the unnamed officials said.
The overflights are said to have occurred on Monday and Tuesday and were described by US officials as "more aggressive than anything we've seen in some time".

On 11 April, two Russian Su-24s made 20 passes of the US Navy ship, according to the officials, passing within 1,000 yards at an altitude of just 100 feet.
The American ship had just left the Polish port of Gdynia and was in the Baltic Sea about 70 nautical miles off Kaliningrad, said US officials.

On 12 April, two Russian jets again buzzed the ship in what officials described as "simulated attack profile".
The aircraft were said to have swooped in the same flight mode that would have been adopted if an actual attack was being launched.

Earlier that same day, two Russian Ka-27 Helix helicopters are said to have circled the USS Donald Cook seven times, taking photos.
In one of the incidents, a Russian jet is said to have flown just 30ft (9 metres) above the destroyer.

A US official told CNN the Russian manoeuvres amounted to mock "strafing runs".
The Russian planes did not respond to attempts by the USS Donald Cook's crew to contact them by radio, said the US officials.
The American ship's commander is said to have deemed the Russian actions "unsafe and unprofessional".

The US believes the overflights breached a 1970s agreement designed to prevent unsafe incidents at sea.
The incidents come as diplomatic tensions continue between Moscow and Washington over the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria.

Sooner than later one of these shit shows is going to go terribly wrong.

 

[Sax1031]

 

[Succinct Verbosity]

Dunno why people would find this shocking.

 

[Herne]

That was stupid of them.

 

[ParityBit]

They should have simulated being shot down before they got anywhere near it if they wanted a true military scenario.

 

[Kathian]

That was stupid of them.

lol

Russia just reminding people that its not some small state in the middle of nowhere. It may be impoverished but it still has a powerful army. The fact their relying on these tactics is worrying as they clearly feel the need to remind people that reacting to their actions could bring worse action.

 

[old manatee]

 

[Gunztrix]

Shoot them down.

 

[Herne]

lol

Russia just reminding people that its not some small state in the middle of nowhere. It may be impoverished but it still has a powerful army. The fact their relying on these tactics is worrying as they clearly feel the need to remind people that reacting to their actions could bring worse action.

It would have been stupid if it had been an Irish vessel. I'm pretty sure the world knows Russia is a powerful nation anyway.

 

[Phantast2k]

Dunno why people would find this shocking.

The reason is in the article I quoted in the op.


It's like they're begging for more U.S. military deployment in Europe...

 

[Nivash]

Donald Cook again? You sure this isn't about the 2014 incident, or do the Russians simply hate that ship or something?

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/navy-responds-to-claim-ship-was-scared-off-by-russian-j-1708178476

EDIT: Sorry, sleep deprived. New incident. The old one was in the Black Sea. Guess they really do hate the Cook.

Second EDIT:

Just for funsies: the 2014 incident spawned a silly conspiracy theory claiming that the Su-24s carried a secret weapon that shut down the Cook's AEGIS radar and weapon systems and claimed this so demoralised the crew that they jumped ship en masse the moment they reached port.

http://www.*************/russians-disable-u-s-guided-missile-destroyer/

(Above source linked for entertainment value, not accuracy. It's Infowars so repair the URL as needed)

 

[| Praxis |]

I mean, to be fair you are pulling up in a heavily armed ship near their coast. International waters or no. I see provocation on both sides.

 

[Fenderputty]

It was aggressive, but was it this aggressive?

 

[chadskin]

Donald Cook again? You sure this isn't about the 2014 incident, or do the Russians simply hate that ship or something?

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/navy-responds-to-claim-ship-was-scared-off-by-russian-j-1708178476

EDIT: Sorry, sleep deprived. New incident. The old one was in the Black Sea. Guess they really do hate the Cook.

Donald Cook is equipped with a missile defense system:

Reminder: Putting the Donald Cook (BMD capable) in the Baltic is already a pretty strong show of force...had to expect a strong reaction

With two serious incidents w/Donald Cook, pretty obvious Russians treat the BMD configured DDGs as a strategic threat

https://twitter.com/russiannavyblog/status/720326962976321537

 

[TangoAlphaLima]

It was aggressive, but was it this aggressive?

 

[Anion]

Shoot them down.

Something tells me that is usually the best case scenario for the instigator...like playing right into their trap

 

[Fenderputty]

Shoot them down.

This breaks the needle on a scale of one to stupid.

 

[qcf x2]

They should have simulated being shot down before they got anywhere near it if they wanted a true military scenario.

Huh? The US didn't know what was going on and the jets were not shot down. This isn't the movies or videogames, America would not win 100-0 against the entire universe.

The pilots assigned to these missions must have nerves of steel lol. I can imagine them receiving the instructions and literally shitting themselves.

 

[Goro Majima]

Are they not called Aegis destroyers/cruisers anymore?

The action itself is stupid and likely only risks the lives of those involved. I seriously doubt war would actually break out from something like that but it would be a senseless waste.

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Russia, asking America to give it a reason.

 

[Sax1031]

Russia, asking America to give it a reason.

America and Russia will never fight a conventional war.

 

[Nivash]

Donald Cook is equipped with a missile defense system:


https://twitter.com/russiannavyblog/status/720326962976321537

If that's the only reason they really are petty bastards. The Aegis BMD system is very limited in capabilities and not a threat to Russia's modern BMs. Then again, "petty" does seem to be a suitable descriptor for the Russians lately, so it wouldn't surprise me.

 

[ParityBit]

Huh? The US didn't know what was going on and the jets were not shot down. This isn't the movies or videogames, America would not win 100-0 against the entire universe.

The pilots assigned to these missions must have nerves of steel lol. I can imagine them receiving the instructions and literally shitting themselves.

The point was, if it were a real "military exercise" that jet would not have gotten within 5 clicks of that ship. Obviously the U.S. does not want to escalate, but if it were a live situation, that dangerous showboating would never have been close to happening.

 

[perfectchaos007]

America and Russia will never fight a conventional war.

Just wait until president Trump is on the trigger

 

[Akiraptor]

 

[Fenderputty]

Just wait until president Trump is on the trigger

.

 

[qcf x2]

The point was, if it were a real "military exercise" that jet would not have gotten within 5 clicks of that ship. Obviously the U.S. does not want to escalate, but if it were a live situation, that dangerous showboating would never have been close to happening.

True, but do we know Russia wasn't simulating an ambush? Because if war is not declared, the jets can get that close without the same repercussions as if both sides were warring. I would think any nation that engages in conventional warfare with the US would look to strike first.

 

[Tworak]

putting a guided missile destroyer in the baltics and all they bother sending is some shitty su-24. russia is weak.

 

[Phantast2k]

America and Russia will never fight a conventional war.

If the world doesn't end tomorrow this statement is almost 100% wrong.
America will especially be forced to go to war there if (or rather when) Russia starts to fall apart to secure the nukes.
China will come too,

Spoiler

but stay.

.

I mean, to be fair you are pulling up in a heavily armed ship near their coast. International waters or no. I see provocation on both sides.

U.S. is part of NATO, NATO countries feel threatened by Russia. What's the provocation here on America's part?
If the U.S. wanted to fuck around with Russia wouldn't it start to pull up ships all around Russia? Yet this is only happening in Europe.

 

[Nivash]

True, but do we know Russia wasn't simulating an ambush? Because if war is not declared, the jets can get that close without the same repercussions as if both sides were warring. I would think any nation that engages in conventional warfare with the US would look to strike first.

Still a suicide run. The Cook was probably in a ready state and would have responded to a weapons lock. They might have scored a hit - although that's really not a guarantee using just two Su-24s unless they have absolutely no intention of surviving - and all they would have achieved would have been crippling or sinking a single ship out of the 62 US Navy Burke destroyers, at the cost of declaring war on the US.

It would be a rather silly way to end the world. Assuming that the Russians are not completely insane and letting them play their little games is a pretty safe bet in these kinds of scenarios.

 

[adj_noun]

Just wait until president Trump is on the trigger

Simulated freedom.

 

[Snwaters]

True, but do we know Russia wasn't simulating an ambush? Because if war is not declared, the jets can get that close without the same repercussions as if both sides were warring. I would think any nation that engages in conventional warfare with the US would look to strike first.

I'm pretty sure that the US knew that Russian warplanes were on an intercept route. Radar would have picked them up from far out, and considering the area, one would expect a Russian military presence. The only reason the planes got so close is because the US didn't wan to escalate. The article mentions that they sent out multiple warnings to those planes.

I wonder if Putin mandates this behavior. Or if it is some other member of his inner circle (like a top Russian general or cabinet member) taking the opportunity to pound his chest, as it were?

 

[ElTorro]

America and Russia will never fight a conventional war.

History does not look favorably on "they would never do that" assumptions.

A lot of stupid bullshit has snowballed out of accidents and other trivial crap.

 

[ParityBit]

True, but do we know Russia wasn't simulating an ambush? Because if war is not declared, the jets can get that close without the same repercussions as if both sides were warring. I would think any nation that engages in conventional warfare with the US would look to strike first.

It is a strafing run. There is a "legal" and "expected" distance military vehicles keep from other military installations. You won't fire or do anything stupid when those guidelines are broken, but you can make a point about them. If the U.S. destroyer was flying small drones in that area, it would have made a huge mess....literally.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

putting a guided missile destroyer in the baltics and all they bother sending is some shitty su-24. russia is weak.

I just looked it up and the first production of those things was almost 50 years ago. Wat?

 

[Sax1031]

History does not look favorably on "they would never do that" assumptions.

A lot of stupid bullshit has snowballed out of accidents and other trivial crap.

the keyword was conventional war.

if the US and Russia ever come to war then nukes are flying.

 

[TheJLC]

Destroyer should have simulated anti-air defense.

 

[Mr. Giggles]

Destroyer should have simulated anti-air defense.

 

[Nivash]

U.S. is part of NATO, NATO countries feel threatened by Russia. What's the provocation here on America's part?
If the U.S. wanted to fuck around with Russia wouldn't it start to pull up ships all around Russia? Yet this is only happening in Europe.

True, so true. The Baltic Sea is an EU sea. The Russian shore holdings are tiny and to make things worse, this incident took place by the Kaliningrad enclave. Giving them the right to harass an ally of the EU just because it "got close" to their coast when that's the only way to even get to the Baltic nations by sea is absurd.

 

[Ruruja]

Well, time to watch Top Gun again.

 

[PlayALLtheGames]

Don't they have Ukranian civilians to bomb?

 

[blackjaw]

If that's the only reason they really are petty bastards. The Aegis BMD system is very limited in capabilities and not a threat to Russia's modern BMs. Then again, "petty" does seem to be a suitable descriptor for the Russians lately, so it wouldn't surprise me.

Aegis BMD capabilities are actually more than effective against most modern BMs. Sure you aren't confusing that with the GMD system?

Also, if Russian aircraft wanted to do an attack it wouldn't be a gun or bomb attack from a strafing run, they have plenty of capable missiles that allow them to fire from a "safe" distance.

Sinking, or attempting to sink, one destroyer would be a really silly way to start a war....just more posturing from Russia. Pretty reckless actually.

 

[DarkKyo]

This is the great filter right here, people. Chalk our end up to man's hubris. Quite tragic that the fate of humanity is basically at the whim of megalomaniacs.

 

[Sax1031]

Don't they have Ukranian civilians to bomb?

i don't think we want to get into a pissing match with Russia over who bombs more civilians.

 

[Mr. Giggles]

i don't think we want to get into a pissing match about who bombs more civilians America or Russia.

Oh snap

 

[Stinkles]

lol

Russia just reminding people that its not some small state in the middle of nowhere. It may be impoverished but it still has a powerful army. The fact their relying on these tactics is worrying as they clearly feel the need to remind people that reacting to their actions could bring worse action.

Yes, they sure showed everyone how confident, mature and respectable they are. Putin is a leader who puts the welfare of his nation before ego, oligarchy and geopolitical misadventure.

This is the great filter right here, people. Chalk our end up to man's hubris. Quite tragic that the fate of humanity is basically at the whim of megalomaniacs.

There is zero reason to expect alien intelligence is anything like anything from earth, let alone human. The best argument is that adversity breeds invention.

It's just as likely they are amoral predators if you're going to be paranoid about it.

 

[Kid Ska]

You step at the king you best not miss

 

[Nivash]

Aegis BMD capabilities are actually more than effective against most modern BMs. Sure you aren't confusing that with the GMD system?

Also, if Russian aircraft wanted to do an attack it wouldn't be a gun or bomb attack from a strafing run, they have plenty of capable missiles that allow them to fire from a "safe" distance.

Sinking, or attempting to sink, one destroyer would be a really silly way to start a war....just more posturing from Russia. Pretty reckless actually.

I mean, it still can't engage ICBMs and I have my doubts that it could reliably counter Iskanders. It's a fine system all right but the Russians have tons of capable missile hardware and the sword usually beats the shield in these cases. Not to mention that the pure volume of Russian missiles make a single Burke rather impotent. Point is that there's no compelling strategic reason for them to have to chase the Cook away at every turn.

And sure, you'd normally fire at standoff ranges to give the aircraft a chance to survive. But that would also give a Burke tons of time and opportunity to try to evade, deploy counter measures and try to intercept the missiles using the very same Aegis the Russian's are so annoyed with. Two Su-24s only carry 4 anti-ship missiles between them, that's nowhere near enough to guarantee a hit in that kind of environment unless they fire at point-blank range. Which is suicide.

This is a rather silly and armchair-generally discussion anyway, sorry for starting it. Point is that the Cook had no reason to be worried as long as the Russians hadn't literally lost their minds.

 

[DarkKyo]

There is zero reason to expect alien intelligence is anything like anything from earth, let alone human. The best argument is that adversity breeds invention.

It's just as likely they are amoral predators if you're going to be paranoid about it.

I was kind of being hyperbolic, but it could be the reason that stupid, war-obsessed aliens like us never make it to the immortal, peaceful demi-god stage. The ones that do make it to that stage dream in a realm of blissful peace and that's why there are no signs of them. Enough technology and there's zero reason to interact with this chaotic universe.

Still, that's a super simplistic view on a possible great filter, but it's at least possible.

 

[CadetMahoney]

Well, time to watch Top Gun again.

Why are they not planning a Top Gun remake? Everything else seems to get one.