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The Russian fighter made 12 passes at 500ft for 90 minutes..............12............and the U.S. Destroyer did not respond. After the first pass, the Captain of the U.S.S. Donald Cook should have activated his 'Phalanx Defensive Cannon' and neutralized the fighter. That would have sent a strong signal to Putin that we mean business and won't allow a threat to put our crews in jeopardy. What the Russians are doing is taunting putative president Obama, something that would never have happened in this situation under Reagan, Bush 1 and 2 or even if Palin was president. They are making this putative president look extremely weak on the international scene and it is a utter embarrassment to us all. In 2016 we need a strong pro-military president who will use common sense and take a strong stance on agression around the world when peaceful nations are threatened by hardline goverments.
There is nothing new in this at all.
When I served in the Navy 44 years ago, Russian destroyers often messed with re-feuling and other operations of our Mediterranean fleet. The last ship I served in was an oiler, and I saw these incidents many times from the signal bridge, my assigned duty station during re-fueling.
The Cook's captain has options on responses like this. While i don't know what they are now, they are in place for sure. If he didn't flash his guns, I'm pretty sure he could have. A captain is not anyone's robot. They become ship's commanders because they all have wisdom and confidence, and are allowed to use them.
Prudence is not a vice, Britt. The captain of the Cook could have escalated the incident on his own, but chose to let it become what it is, nothing but a no-account bit of macho pilot nonsense conducted by some young hotshot who got his butt chewed as soon as he landed by his commander. It happens every day somewhere in the real world.
You're spreading knowledge from over 40 yrs ago..the mentality of commanding officers is much different today, especially with this in the dark regime.
The Russian fighter made 12 passes at 500ft for 90 minutes..............12............and the U.S. Destroyer did not respond. After the first pass, the Captain of the U.S.S. Donald Cook should have activated his 'Phalanx Defensive Cannon' and neutralized the fighter. That would have sent a strong signal to Putin that we mean business and won't allow a threat to put our crews in jeopardy. What the Russians are doing is taunting putative president Obama, something that would never have happened in this situation under Reagan, Bush 1 and 2 or even if Palin was president. They are making this putative president look extremely weak on the international scene and it is a utter embarrassment to us all. In 2016 we need a strong pro-military president who will use common sense and take a strong stance on agression around the world when peaceful nations are threatened by hardline goverments.
Rules of engagement (ROE) for all Naval vessels is they respond to threats in like manner. A Russian fighter roaring by is meaningless. His putting on a flight demonstration is meaningless. In the Persian Gulf, our carriers are overflown by Iranian P-3's at low altitude all the time. And they can carry ship killing missiles. I have witnessed it. As a matter of fact, we announce it over the 1MC (ships announcing system) that we are about to be overflown by said aircraft and everyone off watch is invited onto the flight deck to have a peak. BFD.
If the fighter locks up the destroyer with weapons lock or scans it with its fire control system, then the ship will respond in like fashion by training its fire control system onto said fighter plus we will go up on the Guard channel and warn him off.
This has been going on with every president in office.
And I am by no means a fan of the idiot in the WH.
Good to hear some expertize for a change. Yes you are correct my navy friends happens all the time. The other guy trying to provoke a reaction. It serious business there no one should take this lightly.
during the early eighties I witness 2 F-4E Phantoms pull out of Ram main AFB full after burner to intercept a Mig 21 in West German Air Space. Fortunately the pilot defected and was escort courted to Ziebruken AFB.
These things really happen and the American Public never hears of it!
1) was obama on board the ship. . commanding it directly (Obama takes no action you note)
2) nice ability to second guess "The fighter appeared to be unarmed and never was in danger of coming in contact with the ship, said the officials. " - from your VERY article.
3) naive to think any president would do differently
Stop posting facts that prove that you actually read the piece.
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Thanks!
