This time around, the jets flew remarkably close to the U.S. Navy’s destroyer. That treaty specifically prohibits ” simulating attacks”, according to the U.S. State Department’s website. He said a formal USA military review of the incident is underway. Army Col. Steve Warren, a spokesman for the USA military campaign in Iraq and Syria, told reporters 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.
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They take various forms.
The plane was “wings clean”, meaning it was not visibly armed.
“April 11-12, USS Donald Cook was operating in a professional manner in worldwide waters conducting operations and exercises with our allies in the Baltic Sea”, said Adm. Mark Ferguson, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa.
Russia acted “in accordance with worldwide rules” when its unarmed fighter jets had two close encounters with the USS Donald Cook in the Baltic Sea, Russia’s defense ministry said Thursday.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the incident was part of a pattern of unsafe Russian aircraft action.
U.S. European Command, which oversees military operations on the continent, said in a statement that the Russian jets flew “numerous close-range and low-altitude passes” near the ship.
“They’re playing with fire here”, she said.
In footage released by the Pentagon, Russian warplanes zooming by the warship appear close enough to distinguish its weapons. “Unlike the Russians, we actually telegraph very transparently what we’re doing”.
On Monday a pair of Russian Su-24 planes made 20 close passes over the Cook, coming as close as 1,000 yards at an altitude of about 100 feet, the official said.
The Cook had been shadowed by a Russian intelligence-gathering ship for some time before the aircraft encounter.
“So we clearly need to send a signal to the Russians that this is unacceptable, that this is unprofessional, risky behavior”, Farkas said. Military experts have warned that such risky behaviour could easily lead to a miscalculation by a pilot or sailor leading to an accident and repercussions that spiral out of control.
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As a result of the ongoing Russian overflights, the training operations with the Polish helicopter were suspended and the helicopter was kept on deck, the officials said.
