Russia’s Military Gets “Frisky”
Well, it appears as if the Russian military is getting a bit more “frisky” these days.
On 11 and 12 April, Russian aircraft reportedly performed aggressive maneuvers near the USS Donald Cook. At the time, the US warship – an Arleigh Burke-Class guided-missile destroyer – was operating in international waters in the Baltic Sea.
In one incident, a Russian SU-24 aircraft made numerous close approaches and low-level passes IVO the ship. In a second incident the following day, a Russian KA-27 helicopter circled the ship multiple times; the ship was afterwards again “buzzed” multiple times by a pair of Russian SU-24s. At least one of the passes in the latter incident was what appeared to be a “simulated attack profile”.
The US Navy has released a press release about the incident. It can be found here.
OK, Mr. President – a guy named Vlad has just very publicly given the US the finger. Now, what are you going to do about it?
Category: Foreign Policy, Military issues, Navy
“Now, what are you going to do about it?”
Blow bubbles!
http://www.weaselzippers.us/266694-supposed-leader-of-the-free-world-wows-with-his-bubble-blowing-abilities/
“That dirty bastard isn’t going anywhere near my bird!”
-Bubbles
Sunnyvale Trailer Park, Nova Scotia
“I an the Liquor.”
-LerPmAnCoMidth
Dade county trailer park, Florida
Now Cryppie, you know he’s blown a lot more than bubbles…
In my platoon bay days, “roundmouth” was not a term of admiration.
The last time he blew bubbles, he picked bubbles up at a queer bar!
Who is Bubbles? His caddy?
Next time, let ’em eat 20mm DU rounds from the CIWS
Or at least light them up with targeting radar.
-Ish
meh…shoulda already done that
Remember the USS Stark
You bet your ass…shoot one out of the sky and that will be the last of that childish shyt! Syria shot one down and pussy putin hasn’t messed with them since!
uh, Turkey shot one down, in their airspace, after repeated warnings. Kinda different.
He’ll probably move the ships out of the area because there’s a potential threat now.
He will blame George Bush.
“OK, Mr. President – a guy named Vlad has just very publicly given the US the finger. Now, what are you going to do about it?”
– Wet his pants?
– Go play another round of golf?
– Lecture us about his grand plans for another round of “smart diplomacy”?
– Send Mooch on another vacay?
I’ll take “play golf” for $500. The vacay thing has nothing to do with this threat. The others would require that he acknowledge a threat, which he is not likely to do. Ever.
Vlad has been upping the ante for a while now. Denial among those who should be doing something continues.
I’ll take all of the above for $1000, Alex.
You overlooked apologize.
…or send James Taylor along with Lurch for “Le Hug.”
“Sir! That Russian plane is getting very..”
BLAAAAAAAAWWWWWPPPPPPP!
“….. shredded… totally. Like all over our deck. … Wow”
NOW HEAR THIS! Sweepers man your brooms!
God I love the Phalanx. My favorite CIWS. Must get one for pickup truck.
I read that the ship had to stop its own flight ops due to the close and erratic pattern of the fighters. So, an American warship had to change its operating procedures because the attack aircraft of a foreign power were in extreme close proximity and simulating attack runs.
I’m sorry, I thought we were a sovereign power and not a bunch of dickless pussies. I’d relieve the skipper of that ship for not adequately protecting his crew. I mean, look what happened last time some hotshot fighter jock got too close to an American military unit in international waters/airspace… the Chinese fighter collided and the American crew were taken. Or when the Iranians took two of our highly armed vessels without a fight.
Cowboy up and quit acting like fucking cowardly wussies, military! If you’re in the military and take offense at this, good. Get pissed! Either that, or you can do what the public expects you to do and go cry into your wubbie because the veteran is using micro-aggression and making you feel bad. If the second is the case, then go fuck yourself and get out of the fighting force.
You thought what?
I am in no way denigrating women with my comment. It was the visceral reaction within the part of my brain that was molded by the military.
Norman Scott would’ve said, “If those assholes come within five miles, kill ’em.”
Ernest Evans would’ve said, “You fuckers wanna go? Come get some, then!”
Bull Halsey would’ve said, “Blow those red cocksuckers straight to hell, then throw a salvo of Tomahawks at St Petersburg to let ’em know we’re done fucking around!”
Of course, that was back in the days of Steel Ships and Iron Men, when when America still won its wars, and Sailors were expected to be fighting men who could kick ass with shipboard weapons, small arms, or fists as needed. .
+1000000
This needs to be handled at a considerably lower level than Presidential…. something like having an F-18 appear in the SU’s six with no warning. Or an attack sub surfacing unnoticed behind a major Russian ship, better yet several of ’em simultaneously world wide. No need for getting silly, just a gentle “you had your fn, but don’t tease the tiger, boys” is enough.
There was an intelligence ship shadowing our destroyer and I think the Russians were trying to get our radar to activate. That’s why they flew so close. They were seeking information about our radar. They probably already had the info and were just confirming it. Probably working on countermeasures. Next time we should shoot very close to their planes. The closer they get the closer our bullets get. It’s a game of chicken most pilots wouldn’t want to play.
Anyone flip the bird at the pilots?
re: radar — then I suggest that we give them some information. Crank that puppy to about 10 megawatts and zorch ’em. That power level is no secret. The ability to range at 1 mile is no secret. The ability to steer the beam is no secret. While you are at it, zorch the ship too. What possible harm could there be from tracking the plane and the ship? Certainly no more harm that flying a supersonic aircraft within throwing distance of a ship. I’m surprised that some crewman didn’t toss a bolt up in the air. That would be an entertaining headline, “Russian fighter aircraft observing NATO ship a little too closely brought down by a bolt”.
Couldn’t someone with good aim and a slingshot do that?
Zorch?!? I have not heard that in a long time. Is that anything like ZAP and Z-SZSZSZKST?
Zorch is the phenomenon of hitting something with so much electromagnetic energy that it becomes a flaming torch. The DEW line search radars were so powerful that birds that flew into the main lobe were sent flaming into the ground.
Just think: if you could contain that EME in a magnetic bottle, refine the beam and zap a couple of Norki satellites! What fun that would be!
Some years ago in Alaska, some guys (I forget how many) were inside a DEW line radome when someone turned on the radar. A friend of mine represented them in court when they sued the Air Force for accidentally trying to cook them alive. In initial statements, the Air Force said that there was no evidence that being exposed to DEW-Line power levels of microwave energy was bad for people. That is all that I have to say about that.
In the past, there was a blunt warning in the FAA document called the Alaska Supplement about flying west of the radar antenna at the Clear Air Station. Birds that flew into the beam exploded. I am digging for the exact language, it was classic understatement.
According to Wiki, the USS Donald Cook is an Arleigh Burke class destroyer and that ships of this class carry the AN/SPY-1D radar system. Again, according to Wiki, that radar has a maximum power of 6 megawatts. Consider that your home microwave produces about 1 kilowatt or about 1/6000 as much power. If someone points that radar at an airplane 100 yards from the ship and turns it on, I’m thinking that it might blow the paint off the plane and the pilot may have two-headed children.
Still according to Wiki, that ship class also carries a CIWS. Since neither the CIWS nor the radar not the cooks assistant with a slingshot engaged the Russian aircraft, someone must have given them rather … restricted … ROE. If we are going to have a Navy and if the Navy is going to have ships with guns on them, what in the hell are they doing out there if they aren’t allowed to defend themselves from this sort of harassment?
I guess that Mr. Obama must have been emasculated before he came into office because surely Fox News would have reported it if he had such surgery while he was in office. I wish that I could believe that Congress would do the same as Fox News but, alas, I think that would be … inaccurate.
I was stationed at Clear AFS in 2003, and I remember being told about a group of guys that were in one of the radomes of the old BMEWS site, when it was powered up. I just chalked it up to some Airman trying to sound impressive, didn’t think it actually happened.
It would appear someone should have been in a simulated defensive posture to protect against the simulated offensive posture instead of just writing some nasty letters…
Light those fighters up with radar targeting so they know they can be engaged in a moment’s notice. It’s one thing to buzz a ship when the ship does nothing, quite another to do so while knowing you are being tracked and targeted for lethal defense of said ship.
The Russians like to flex now and again, the current risk averse career paths throughout the military make it easy for our enemies past and present to find cracks in the defense due to slowed or zero response while waiting for proper acting authority. That’s no way to operate a military, especially a Navy tasked with worldwide projection of US interests and power.
If the commander of the vessel had broadcast a simple warning to maneuver away or be fired on, it sends a far different message to the Russians and the world about our willingness to kill those who project a threat, real or not, against us throughout the world.
Right now we look to be the spineless, weak kneed, cupcakes our enemies believe us to be. Nothing more than a paper tiger incapable of projecting true power. That’s not a good place to be these days.
Too many kids forced to wear knee pads and bike helmets growing up. That doesn’t make anyone hard. Our current command staffs appear only too willing to get worked up over tattoos, but not ROEs that kill troops.
VOV, when we were kids, my brother and I used to jump off the garage roof, climb apple, cherry and hickory trees, and in general run around like maniacs. I was baking cookies and gingerbread in a gas range with a gas oven when I was six. Most of what’s wrong with kids today is that they don’t learn that taking a fall off of something is not going to kill you. The real world is a shock to them when they get hit with it.
I was having BB gun fights with the neighbor kids in one of our neighbors’ pasture when I was 8 (this was rural California, summer of 1992). When I got nailed in the face, all my Mom (who was raised by WWII vets) had to say was, “Should’ve ducked,” and, “Don’t miss next time.”
So next time, I ducked. And my marksmanship improved.
There was a book published some years ago about this very thing, the softening of kids, the reluctance to take risks for fear of harm, and the absence of a stomach for the inevitable need for stitches, casts and, every so often, something much worse. The consequence of this softening is predictable and sure. This approach to living life has long been institutionalized now, what with every playground sport now banned it seems, and anti-bullying bullshit the stuff of school assemblies and such. Climb a tall tree? Cross a rickety bridge? Explore a cave? Have a fistfight? Take to a swing a jump off at the highest point? That’s all crazy, nowadays. And I guess it was decades ago too, but it sure was fun.
I never needed a cast, and only got stitches once, but that’s just because I learned quick enough to know stupidity when I saw it. I was never great at football, but I could hit, block, and keep track of the plays. I was never great at baseball, but I can hit a ball with a bat. I was never a great fighter, but I can take, and throw, a punch.
But I still remember the jungle gym, the merry-go-round, and other cool playground equipment that’s become a thing of the past. Yes, you could hurt yourself on it, but you’d only do it once. That was the whole point: they taught kids not to be stupid, while also honing strength and coordination. Is it any wonder that so many kids these days are lardass pussies?
When I was a kid, I was rather “rambunctious” and would bust my ass while doing things boys did. I would come home with blood pouring out of my head, or a knot the size of Texas, etc. and my grandma would look at me with her hands on her hips and just sigh. Then she would fix me up, or take me to the doctor if it was serious enough, and then once I was healed up; back in action for the next round of scars. When you had older cousins and you wanted to play their games, you had to take their lumps.
Good times, good times.
As for today’s youth………….. I think we’ve been raising a couple generations of pussies. Look at the bullshit about “safe spaces” and “microaggressions” and all that other blubbering and hand wringing crap. Cowboy up and grow a pair!
At least this time is better than the whining during crimea, which didn’t even qualify as a proper ‘buzz.’ 1/4 mile away at 600ft? that’s more of a friendly “hello neighbor.” http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/01/politics/russia-plane-navy-uss-ross/
This time looks properly close (cnn reports 75ft from ship). But maybe instead of whining to the media, my beloved Navy might have remembered how to treat Russia, and simply given them a free airshow too.
I think an appropriate reaction would be a very large banner in Russian that reads: ‘Next time, stop for coffee. Say HI to Vlad for us!’
Oh, I think perhaps a banner that read as follows would be more apropos:
Еб твою мать, хуи́ло
The media is hyping the crap out of this and some of these military “spokesmen” they like to use should remind them that we do the same thing to any Russian ships operating too close inboard of our coastal waters.
The lack of concern the ship’s captain had is evidenced by the sailors’ demeanor in the videos, standing on the fantail smiling as the aircraft make their passes. I ask all you Navy types who hang out here, if this were a serious matter, wouldn’t all those sailors be behind secured hatches manning their own defensive weapons systems instead of grab-assing around on the fantail?
Now if the Russians start doing this at Portsmouth, Pearl Harbor or San Diego, THAT is a middle finger, folks. And with this CinC and Navy Secretary we now have, it wouldn’t surprise me.
Maybe Mabus can bend the rules and name the next destroyer for Putin? After all, the rules are merely “suggestions”.
That’ll make Vlad happy.
I was thinking the same thing…maybe the conversation goes something like this:
SECNAV: A Russian plane just buzzed one of our destroyers, what should we do?
POTUS: Mmm…are there any hers left?
SECNAV: I don’t think so, we’ve named ships after Gabby and Levin, not much left.
POTUS: Cool, let’s go with Vlad, maybe he’ll like us then. Yup, the USS Putin sounds great,
Mmm…are there any hers left?…should read – “Mmm…are there any heroes left?
“Now if the Russians start doing this at Portsmouth, Pearl Harbor or San Diego, THAT is a middle finger, folks.”
No, that would be an encroachment on our sovereign airspace, and they would be intercepted at the ADIZ and escorted out by armed fighters. Or legally shot down. This is just Vlad thumbing his nose at Barry. And it will continue until either:
A. Barry grows a pair.
B. A new President takes office.
I’ll take distractor “B.”
The Iranian P-3 has been doing this to us for years in the SoH. In that case they know the rules for where our helo’s can operate during transit passage, so they fly low and slow over the groups as they pass through to make sure our birds have to fly even lower and close aboard or stay on deck.
We don’t know where in the Baltic this took place. Like us Russia maintains air and surface operating areas in international waters for their military, some of them are in the Baltic. Try driving a ship through the Pacific Missile Range off California and not responding to Port Hueneme’s calls if you want to see U.S. attack aircraft up close and personal.
Flagwaver, while our fire control radar capabilities are not unknown to the Russians, there is no reason to share them. Worst case scenario (and a fairly likely one) is that Russia is working on technology to jam the SPY-1 or SPG-62. Giving them a free chance to finger print Donald Cook and test their equipment would be foolish.
This isn’t new folks. We have been playing this game with Russia and many other nations for a long time. Getting spun up about it just makes us look foolish. Russia acts provocatively in their back yard, but that isn’t a reason to start shooting at each other.
“This isn’t new folks.”
Had a surfaced, transiting Soviet Juliette SSG* shoot flares at my P-3 one dark and stormy night. Not cool.
We repaid the bridge watch with a couple 5 MILLION candlepower landing lights right in their faces. At 300 feet AGL, nose to nose and closing rapidly.
Fuck you, Ivan.
*Diesel Guided Missile Submarine
Wonder what would have happened if – during the closest approach incident on the second day – the ship’s captain had someone fire a flare or two from Very pistol(s) in the general vicinity of the closest aircraft?
I was more thinking what would happen if the skipper and XO decided to recreate the scene from Armageddon where Bruce Willis hits several golf balls are off the deck. (Gotta stay in form when when they get back to port after all)
I bet a few golf balls sucked into an engine can be a real b!+ch. FOD its whats for dinner…..
Just before they take the chip shots they can even broadcast a “FORE” over the international GUARD channels…. Response when asked about the incident if the air craft goes down: “Hey we said FORE and its not like he asked to play through….”
Weaponized golf balls, “FOD, it’s what’s for dinner”, and Bruce Willis. I need a new keyboard, AGAIN.
We look like we’ll u know …well not like my german sheperd she would kick some a**…like chumps
Now if it was an Airbus full of Iranians and Reagan was President…..
The next time this happens the crew should man the rails and Moon the pilots. Perhaps the photo interpreters will get a laugh out of it. “I fart in your general direction!”
Welcome back to 1985, boys and girls.
Way further back than that SAC lost a fair number of RB47’s and EB57’s on “routine training missions” as early as the mid 50’s
And an EC-121 on 15 April 1969.
RIP brothers.
Indeed.
http://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=34712
And the EC-121 wasn’t alone by far in getting shot up.
http://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=54715
http://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=54716
“Cold War” didn’t always mean “war of nerves”. Sometimes it involved shooting.
Russians now say the flybys were in “accordance with accepted international rules” according to their foreign minister…so if we do a few low passes over THEIR decks they’re OK with that….
I say we find a willing pilot to buzz Vlad’s private house at Mach 3. That should rattle his teacups a little.
Did you read Nicki’s comment about the Roosians today? Cement overshoes and all 🙂
Not yet. Been busy.
Russia is a desperate miserable country rapidly fading from relevance. Vladamir needs a few public relations “victories” against big bad America to boost the morale of the Russian populace (those few not drunk off their asses on vodka). Of course Pooty is dealing w/ limp wristed 90 lb America hating weakling Ma0bama. The only thing the WH will sputter is how they are “deeply disturbed”.
Do we have to turn in our Cold War service medals? And wait for this one to start or end?
No way!!! I need another ribbon to add to my rack, that might push me to double digit bars…CW2 ribbon
WTF are “Cold War service medals?” All I got was a cert stamped with Bubba Clinton’s signature, which I promptly shit-canned.
Maybe we’ll just a bronze “2” to attach to it.
The reindeer games have returned and the good old days are back! Hopefully DONALD COOK took the opportunity to test IFF, SARTIS and the Mk 99 FCS on that guy. Light him up!
http://www.voltairenet.org/article185860.html
Did we enter time warp? The USS Donald Cook was targeted by Ivan in 2014 and it was a humdinger. I wonder whether the protest is pending still or we’ll just pkg them together and send them as a single complaint. Yes, Putin is our daddy. The truth hurts but he is.
“Now, what are you going to do about it?”
Bend over further and take it in the ass.
The Turks did not put up with this BS.
O’bummer!
Deep breaths, everyone:
This happened about 70 miles from a Russian city called Kaliningrad, which is in a little chunk of Russia between Poland and Lithuania.
So, in other words, while this made the Russians feel good about themselves, they did this because they are pissing in their pants over the fact that we can routinely and casually park a combatant vessel
(that could probably singlehandedly destroy their entire Baltic Fleet) less than 100 miles off their sovereign territory and they can’t do anything about it.
By the way, this has happened in the Baltic to this same ship before once in 2014 and again in 2015; It’s kind of a tradition.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Navy could have shot this jet down. However, we don’t need to do that because the Russians know, just as we know, that we can shut down their access to the Baltic any time we want and there isn’t a damn thing they can do about it.
Vlad wanted to know what the standing White House and Five-Sided-Asylum orders were for US warships in international waters were, when approached by a threat. Now…he does.
I heard that the Russian jet flew so close it made the Air Boss spill coffee all over his shirt and now that Russkie pilot is flying rubber dog shit out of Hong Kong. 😉