SU-24s

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.

US officials have confirmed that two Russian warplanes flew “simulated attacks” this week near a US warship stationed in international waters near Russia. Two unarmed Russian Su-24 fighter jets came extremely close to the USS Donald Cook that they created “a wake in the water”, US officials say. Sky News reports: The overflights are said to have occurred on Monday and Tuesday and were described by US officials as “more aggressive than anything we’ve seen in some time”.

The Pentagon is up in arms that two Russian jets flew dangerously close to a U.S. destroyer in the Baltic Sea, creating a “wake” in the waters surrounding the warship. The two low flying Russian Su-24s performed a “simulated attack” that goes against military conventions in peacetime, according to the Pentagon. Sputnik reports: While sailing through the Baltic on Tuesday, the USS Donald Cook reported that Russian aircraft performed repeated flybys within 30 feet of the destroyer.

In a rerun of what happened two years ago when in April 2014 a Russian Su-24 fighter jet flew repeatedly within 1000 yards of a US warship, CNN reports that the Pentagon is furious that while sailing in the Baltic Sea, US warship the USS Donald Cook had two "extremely close overflights" by unarmed Russian fighter jets.

According to the initial reports, two concerning encounters occurred Tuesday night in international waters. A third overflight, at a more acceptable distance, happened Sunday, according to the source.