Recent Russian military aggression brings tension with U.S. to boiling point
In this image released by the U.S. Navy, a Russian SU-24 jet makes a close-range and low altitude pass near the USS Donald Cook on Tuesday, April 12, 2016, in the Baltic Sea.
By Carlo Muñoz - The Washington Times - Monday, May 2, 2016
The Navy’s top officer on Monday sought to play down recent Russian aggression against U.S. warships in Eastern Europe, but warned in the same breath that Moscow’s recent actions have brought tensions between the two nations a step closer to the boiling point.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson said Monday he is convinced that Russia “is not trying to provoke an incident” with its recent aggressive harassment of U.S. aircraft and warships operating in the Baltic Sea, including a much-discussed buzzing of a U.S. destroyer in the Baltic Sea by a pair of Russian fighter jets.
U.S. commanders in the region are “looking for a normalization” of operations from both American and Russian militaries over the next few months in the region, Adm. Richardson told reporters at the Pentagon.
“We will continue to see where this all levels out,” he said.
In another sign of the rising tensions along Russia’s border with the West, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Monday that NATO is weighing the establishment of a ground force that would rotate through the Baltic states and possibly Poland.
The proposed force would consist of four battalions, or 4,000 troops, and would supplement the 4,200-man Army armored brigade Pentagon officials plan to deploy separately to the region next February, Mr. Carter told reporters during a visit to U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany.
Tensions between the two countries’ armed forces in the region ramped up earlier this month after Russian fighters and attack helicopters carried out simulated attacks on the USS Donald Cook, a Navy destroyer operating in the Baltic Sea.
For two days Russian pilots “made numerous, close-range and low-altitude passes” above the Donald Cook while it was conducting routine maritime drills, mimicking maneuvers used to strafe enemy targets.
On Saturday a Russian fighter jet reportedly conducted a “barrel roll” over a U.S. Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance plane flying over the Baltic Sea, flying within 100 feet of the American aircraft, according to press reports.
The Pentagon and NATO’s leadership chastised the Kremlin for its bellicose behavior, calling the maneuvers “unsafe and unprofessional,” a charge Moscow has rejected.
For his part, Adm. Richardson said the incidents in the Baltic Sea have the potential for a “tactical miscalculation” in which either U.S. or Russian forces would be forced to open fire on each other. Russia has repeatedly stated its behavior in the Baltic Sea has not violated international laws and standards governing military operations.
But Adm. Richardson insisted that the recent flyovers of U.S. warships and engagements of Russian warplanes with American military aircraft operating in international waters and airspace did violate the 1972 Incidents at Sea Agreement, a longstanding treaty banning such actions.
The rhetoric from Washington has also become more aggressive in recent days regarding Russia’s actions — Secretary of State John F. Kerry said the Donald Cook would have been justified in firing on the Russian aircraft.
Earlier this month, Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti told congressional lawmakers that all options — including military force — should be considered as possible responses should Russia continue to harass U.S. forces.
Gen. Scaparrotti, confirmed last week to lead the European command, said American forces will defend their right to operate in international waters, even in the face of ongoing Russian challenges.
=====
Russian jets keep buzzing U.S. ships and planes. What can the U.S. do?
By Ryan Browne and Jim Sciutto, CNN
Updated 1540 GMT (2240 HKT) April 19, 2016
Two Russian fighter jets recently flew within 30 feet of the USS Cook
The Pentagon said the incidents could "unnecessarily escalate tensions between the two countries"
Washington (CNN)Two separate close encounters between the Russian and U.S. militaries in recent days have left many wondering if future incidents could result in an armed clash.
Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters Monday, "There have been repeated incidents over the past year where Russian aircraft have come close enough to other air and sea traffic to raise serious safety concerns."
"Unsafe and unprofessional actions by a single pilot have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions between the two countries," he added.
After two Russian fighter jets flew within 30 feet of the USS Donald Cook last Tuesday, Secretary of State John Kerry warned that the Russian action could have resulted in the jets being shot down.
Kerry told CNN en Español that "under the rules of engagement, that could have been a shoot-down, so people need to understand that this is serious business."
When asked why the Russian plane was not shot down, a senior military official told CNN that "the Russians were dangerous but did not demonstrate hostile intent and were unarmed."
On Saturday, U.S. European Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in Europe, said that a Russian interceptor flew within 50 feet of an American reconnaissance aircraft, a maneuver the U.S. military described as "unsafe and unprofessional."
Russia's Defense Ministry said that reports on Thursday's incident were "not consistent with reality" and that the Russian aircraft's maneuvers had been "performed strictly in accordance with the international regulations on the use of airspace."
Both incidents took place in the Baltic Sea.
The U.S. Navy does not publicly discuss its rules of engagement in order to prevent adversaries from using them to their advantage.
But a Navy official told CNN that "every commanding officer of a U.S. Navy ship is empowered to make the decision regarding the self-defense of the ship and its crew."
The official added that in the case of the Cook, "The commanding officer recognized that the flight patterns were unsafe and unprofessional but did not feel threatened and therefore did not engage with tactical weapons."
Retired Navy Capt. Rick Hoffman lauded the performance of the ship's commanding officer, telling CNN that the "destroyer captain exercised extreme professionalism and extreme restraint."
Hoffman, who commanded a frigate and a cruiser during his time in the Navy, said that the Russian action was probably "sufficient" to justify a shoot-down. But he added, "in this particular case, from my perspective, I think he took all the right action and demonstrated calm professionalism."
As to why Russia has engaged in these type of aerial maneuvers, Hoffman said that "President (Vladimir) Putin is clearly playing domestic politics."
Heather Conley of the Center for Strategic and International Studies agreed, telling CNN, "This highly risky behavior seems to be an attempt to cause or create an accident or incident. Perhaps Mr. Putin believes he needs to divert the Russian people's attention away their economic troubles."
She added, "To America's European allies, the Kremlin is messaging that the U.S. cannot protect them from Russia if Russia wants to do something to them militarily."
But close observers say the U.S. shooting down a Russian plane is very unlikely, and very undesirable.
In this image released by the U.S. Navy, a Russian SU-24 jet makes a close-range and low altitude pass near the USS Donald Cook on Tuesday, April 12, 2016, in the Baltic Sea.
By Carlo Muñoz - The Washington Times - Monday, May 2, 2016
The Navy’s top officer on Monday sought to play down recent Russian aggression against U.S. warships in Eastern Europe, but warned in the same breath that Moscow’s recent actions have brought tensions between the two nations a step closer to the boiling point.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson said Monday he is convinced that Russia “is not trying to provoke an incident” with its recent aggressive harassment of U.S. aircraft and warships operating in the Baltic Sea, including a much-discussed buzzing of a U.S. destroyer in the Baltic Sea by a pair of Russian fighter jets.
U.S. commanders in the region are “looking for a normalization” of operations from both American and Russian militaries over the next few months in the region, Adm. Richardson told reporters at the Pentagon.
“We will continue to see where this all levels out,” he said.
In another sign of the rising tensions along Russia’s border with the West, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Monday that NATO is weighing the establishment of a ground force that would rotate through the Baltic states and possibly Poland.
The proposed force would consist of four battalions, or 4,000 troops, and would supplement the 4,200-man Army armored brigade Pentagon officials plan to deploy separately to the region next February, Mr. Carter told reporters during a visit to U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany.
Tensions between the two countries’ armed forces in the region ramped up earlier this month after Russian fighters and attack helicopters carried out simulated attacks on the USS Donald Cook, a Navy destroyer operating in the Baltic Sea.
For two days Russian pilots “made numerous, close-range and low-altitude passes” above the Donald Cook while it was conducting routine maritime drills, mimicking maneuvers used to strafe enemy targets.
On Saturday a Russian fighter jet reportedly conducted a “barrel roll” over a U.S. Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance plane flying over the Baltic Sea, flying within 100 feet of the American aircraft, according to press reports.
The Pentagon and NATO’s leadership chastised the Kremlin for its bellicose behavior, calling the maneuvers “unsafe and unprofessional,” a charge Moscow has rejected.
For his part, Adm. Richardson said the incidents in the Baltic Sea have the potential for a “tactical miscalculation” in which either U.S. or Russian forces would be forced to open fire on each other. Russia has repeatedly stated its behavior in the Baltic Sea has not violated international laws and standards governing military operations.
But Adm. Richardson insisted that the recent flyovers of U.S. warships and engagements of Russian warplanes with American military aircraft operating in international waters and airspace did violate the 1972 Incidents at Sea Agreement, a longstanding treaty banning such actions.
The rhetoric from Washington has also become more aggressive in recent days regarding Russia’s actions — Secretary of State John F. Kerry said the Donald Cook would have been justified in firing on the Russian aircraft.
Earlier this month, Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti told congressional lawmakers that all options — including military force — should be considered as possible responses should Russia continue to harass U.S. forces.
Gen. Scaparrotti, confirmed last week to lead the European command, said American forces will defend their right to operate in international waters, even in the face of ongoing Russian challenges.
=====
Russian jets keep buzzing U.S. ships and planes. What can the U.S. do?
By Ryan Browne and Jim Sciutto, CNN
Updated 1540 GMT (2240 HKT) April 19, 2016
Two Russian fighter jets recently flew within 30 feet of the USS Cook
The Pentagon said the incidents could "unnecessarily escalate tensions between the two countries"
Washington (CNN)Two separate close encounters between the Russian and U.S. militaries in recent days have left many wondering if future incidents could result in an armed clash.
Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters Monday, "There have been repeated incidents over the past year where Russian aircraft have come close enough to other air and sea traffic to raise serious safety concerns."
"Unsafe and unprofessional actions by a single pilot have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions between the two countries," he added.
After two Russian fighter jets flew within 30 feet of the USS Donald Cook last Tuesday, Secretary of State John Kerry warned that the Russian action could have resulted in the jets being shot down.
Kerry told CNN en Español that "under the rules of engagement, that could have been a shoot-down, so people need to understand that this is serious business."
When asked why the Russian plane was not shot down, a senior military official told CNN that "the Russians were dangerous but did not demonstrate hostile intent and were unarmed."
On Saturday, U.S. European Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in Europe, said that a Russian interceptor flew within 50 feet of an American reconnaissance aircraft, a maneuver the U.S. military described as "unsafe and unprofessional."
Russia's Defense Ministry said that reports on Thursday's incident were "not consistent with reality" and that the Russian aircraft's maneuvers had been "performed strictly in accordance with the international regulations on the use of airspace."
Both incidents took place in the Baltic Sea.
The U.S. Navy does not publicly discuss its rules of engagement in order to prevent adversaries from using them to their advantage.
But a Navy official told CNN that "every commanding officer of a U.S. Navy ship is empowered to make the decision regarding the self-defense of the ship and its crew."
The official added that in the case of the Cook, "The commanding officer recognized that the flight patterns were unsafe and unprofessional but did not feel threatened and therefore did not engage with tactical weapons."
Retired Navy Capt. Rick Hoffman lauded the performance of the ship's commanding officer, telling CNN that the "destroyer captain exercised extreme professionalism and extreme restraint."
Hoffman, who commanded a frigate and a cruiser during his time in the Navy, said that the Russian action was probably "sufficient" to justify a shoot-down. But he added, "in this particular case, from my perspective, I think he took all the right action and demonstrated calm professionalism."
As to why Russia has engaged in these type of aerial maneuvers, Hoffman said that "President (Vladimir) Putin is clearly playing domestic politics."
Heather Conley of the Center for Strategic and International Studies agreed, telling CNN, "This highly risky behavior seems to be an attempt to cause or create an accident or incident. Perhaps Mr. Putin believes he needs to divert the Russian people's attention away their economic troubles."
She added, "To America's European allies, the Kremlin is messaging that the U.S. cannot protect them from Russia if Russia wants to do something to them militarily."
But close observers say the U.S. shooting down a Russian plane is very unlikely, and very undesirable.
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