So a Russian jet comes within 10 feet of our military.

[Lint Head]

What should our response be? You know the Huge Pumpkin will say something about it tonight at the military town hall.

A Russian fighter jet flew within 10 feet of a U.S. Navy surveillance aircraft, in what American officials called an unsafe intercept over the Black Sea, the Pentagon said Wednesday.

https://www.navytimes.com/articles/reports-russian-fighter-jet-came-within-10-feet-of-us-navy-poseidon

[gordianot]

1. That is the decision of the military in chain of command.

Something I am sure Trump has no clue.

[Lint Head]

2. It's kind of obvious that it would be left up to the military.

It's also obvious Trump has no clue about anything much less the military. I'm not second guessing. Just curious as to opinions.

[tonyt53]

3. That US plane knows when another plane has their weapons system armed.

The problem is how close they came, not whether they would fire or not.

[malaise]

4. Why does America believe it owns the world's oceans and seas

Last edited Wed Sep 7, 2016, 06:50 PM - Edit history (1)

FFS!!!

[chknltl]

5. +1 nt

[EX500rider]

6. The US can fly over international waters like any other country..

...are you under the impression that Russian military planes don't fly off US airspace sometimes?

And when they do US fighters intercept them in a professional and safe manner.

[sharp_stick]

10. What a strange reply

I guess it's cool if a US plane buzzes a couple of Soviet, oops Russian,aircraft?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

13. Interesting

Do your sympathies for Russia trump the US or does your resentment of the US trump Russian recklessness?

[GulfCoast66]

22. I see what you did

And totally approve.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

24. Who? Me?

*bats innocent doe eyes*

[hack89]

16. What does that have to due with reckless endangerment

Of US pilots? Are you saying Russia was justified?

[sarisataka]

17. Who is trying to deny

Navigational access to whom?

[GulfCoast66]

21. FFS is correct

So we should abandon the principle of freedom of the seas?

And of course, this incident is totally the fault of the US, harassing those poor innocent Russians.

[Renew Deal]

29. Can it have a 10 foot clearance?

[citood]

32. Umm...there are clear rules/conventions in place

[name not needed]

33. Do you ever miss an opportunity to whine about the US?

An American so much as farts overseas and you're the first to grab a pitchfork.

[ronnie624]

36. The Pentagon would never disseminate propaganda about something like this.

You should be ashamed for expressing skepticism. Don't you love the flag and the national anthem?

[Iggo]

7. Laugh. (n/t)

[trof]

8. It's not unusual. I've done it.

I buzzed and harassed a Russian trawler (spy ship) off the coast of Puerto Rico, under orders to do so, during a joint military exercise (Clove Hitch III? I think.).
I was in an RF-84 and crossed their decks at 10 feet and 350 knots for an hour.
Fun.

[Lint Head]

9. Wow. Interesting. Now THAT would be a memory to keep.

[trof]

11. Oh yeah. The 60s were 'interesting times'.

Especially in the Air Force.

[trof]

15. We had a song about the F-84.

Don't give me a F-84
She's just a ground loving whore.
She'll moan and she'll wheeze,
and head straight for the trees,
Don't give me a F-84

The 84 was notoriously underpowered.
Take off rolls were L O N G.

[Lint Head]

37. I hope you write your memories down.

That would make a fantastic read.

[GulfCoast66]

26. Wow!

It must have been a blast to have been a young man and a fighter pilot. If it were me, I would have been out of control with the ladies. Which is why I was not a military pilot. No discipline when I was young.

Serious question though; would you have been ordered to do so to a Soviet Destroyer? Or any armed Soviet or Russian warship?

Because while I am a liberal, I am an FDR liberal and support a strong US military. I really do not want a Russian Warplane flying 10 feet above the deck of an American Warship. That seems too much a risk for our sailors.

What is you opinion of telling the Russians, privately and thru secure diplomacy, that if one of their plane comes within, say, 20 meters or one of our ships we are going to shoot it down?

Is that reasonable, or is buzzing other nations warships that closely common practice? To me it seem that if you let a competing powers planes too close you are running a risk. But I will be first to admit I am an idiot when it comes to this issue.

Have a nice evening.

[ileus]

12. move over 10 feet...

[Brother Buzz]

14. Give 'em the finger!

[Gidney N Cloyd]

18. Aren't our guys and theirs always dicking with each other this way?

What's so unusual about this time?

[EX500rider]

20. Too close.

We prefer not to have another incident like when the Chinese fighter plane rammed a US military plane.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

23. How close is considered international incident close?

[EX500rider]

25. Most the pics I can find of western intercepts show about this:

[Brother Buzz]

30. I never get tired of looking at those wicked cool contra-rotating propellers

[GulfCoast66]

31. That photo sums up the arms race with the USSR

Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I thinking that is not a US interceptor? Maybe a Mirage or one of the Nordic countries fighters. Regardless, this photo says so much about the difference in the military capability of the West and the Russians. Although this photo seems to be from Soviet times.

The plane it is 'escorting' is pretty much a jazzed up B-29 which we developed in WW2. The Soviets got their hand on some of them and pretty much copied them forever.

Again, if I am wrong, let me know. But I just looked at B-29's online and it looks like a carbon copy.

[ozone82]

34. The Fighter Is A

Royal Airforce Typhoon.

[sarisataka]

35. I'm not 100% sure

But I think it is an RAF Eurofighter Typhoon.

The Russian plane is a Tupolev Tu-95. It came into service in 1956, a year after the B-52. Russia still has 50+ in service.

Although there are significant differences, it does trace its lineage to reverse engineered B-29s.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-95

[AngryAmish]

19. Take a Polaroid.

[Brother Buzz]

28. Watch the birdie

[upaloopa]

27. Sounds like that scene from Top Gun

Take a picture

[HerrKarlMarx]

38. Nothing unusual

During the Cold War, Western and Soviet assets 'intercepted' each other like this all the time. American F4s and F15s meeting Soviet TU95s happened over Alaska on a standard basis.