Su-24

Tensions are rapidly escalating between the US and Russia following last week two fly-bys when first a Russian Su-24 "buzzed" the US missile destroyer USS Donald Cook in the Baltic Sea, and just days later flew within 50 feet of a US recon plane also flying over the Baltic Sea, which some interpreted as a Russian warning to Poland. The U.S. quickly responded and complained vocally to Russia (even if Obama did not mention the incident during his phone call with Putin immediately following the incident).

By Richard Sisk, first posted on Military.com

Russia should be warned that its dangerous flybys of U.S. ships and planes could be met by force, President Barack Obama's nominee as the next NATO and U.S. European Command commander said Thursday.

"Sir, I believe that should be known -- yes," Army Gen. Curtis M. "Mike" Scaparrotti said when asked by Sen. John McCain whether Russia should be told that the U.S. would take action if American lives were endangered.

Russia is no longer cooperating with the U.S. by keeping to an agreed flight safety protocol over the skies of Syria, according to new analysis The U.S. has accused Russia of abandoning a memorandum of understanding agreement after starting its air campaign in Syria by allowing its warplanes to carry out “simulated attacks” on American jets. The U.S. views the Russian action of sending two Su-24 strike aircraft to within 30ft of one of its destroyers in the Baltic last week as “aggressive” and “unsafe” while Russia views the recent deployment of U.S. combat jets near Syria as a threat.

Just days after the US destroyer Donald Cook had a close "buzzing" with two Russian Su-24 fighters which performed several low passes as close as 30 feet away in the Baltic Sea, the US Air Force complained about another close encounter which took place on Thursday.

According to US European Command, during a routine flight by a US EC-135U reconnaissance plane which was flying over international waters (again in the Baltic Sea) a Russian Flanker barrel rolled from the left side of the U.S. RC-135 and went over the top of it to end on the right side of the aircraft.

Submitted by Patrick Buchanan via Buchanan.org,

This week, SU-24 fighter-bombers buzzed a U.S. destroyer in the Baltic Sea. The Russian planes carried no missiles or bombs.

Message: What are you Americans doing here?

In the South China Sea, U.S. planes overfly, and U.S. warships sail inside, the territorial limits of islets claimed by Beijing.