7 times the Russians and Chinese got so close to the US military that it nearly ended in disaster A Russian fighter buzzed a US Navy reconn...
A Russian fighter buzzed a US Navy reconnaissance plane Monday, coming dangerously close to the American aircraft during a decidedly "unsafe" incident.
"This interaction was determined to be unsafe due to the Su-27 conducting a high speed pass directly in front of the mission aircraft, which put our pilots and crew at risk," the Navy said in a statement, adding, "The intercepting Su-27 made an additional pass, closing with the EP-3 [Aries] and applying its afterburner while conducting a banking turn away."
The Department of Defense said there was "no radio contact," explaining that they came "came out of nowhere." The department explained that these actions &qu ot;put our aircrews in danger," stressing that "there is no reason for this behavior."
Monday's intercept is one of many close encounters the US military has had with the Russians over the years, and the US has similar problems with the Chinese as well.
Here are seven times the Russian and Chinese militaries came so close to US ships and aircraft they risked disaster.
Russian Su-27 Flanker intercepted a US Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft on July 19, 2017.
The Russian Flanker "rapidly" approached the US reconnaissance plane, coming within five feet of the US aircraft. The Russian pilot engaged in "provocative" maneuvers, according to US defense officials, who accused the Russians of flying "erratically."
Intercepts occur frequently, but while most are routine, some are considered "unsafe." This incident was classified as such "due to the high rate of closure speed and poor control of the aircraft during the intercept," Fox News reported.
In photos from the July 19 incident, the pilot can be seen clearly in the cockpit of the Russian Su-27. At those distances and speeds, the slightest miscalculation increases the odds of a mid-air collision.
Two Chinese Su-30 fighter jets flies inverted over a US Air Force radiation detection plane over the East China Sea on May 17, 2017.
A pair of People's Liberation Army Air Force Su-30 derivatives came within 150 feet of the aircraft, with one flying inverted over the top of the American plane, US defense officials told CNN at the time.
The incident, which was deemed "unprofessional" by the US military, followed a close encounter a year earlier between the US Navy and a pair of Shenyang J-11 fighter jets. The fighters flew within 50 feet of an EP-3 Ares spy plane.
Two years prior in the summer of 2014, a Chinese fighter flew within 30 feet of a US Navy US P-8 Poseidon aircraft, doing a "barrel roll" over the top.
Russian Su-27 Flanker "barrel rolls" over a US Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea on April 29, 2016.
The Russian Flanker flew within 25 feet of the US plane before conducting a "barrel roll" over the top of the American aircraft.
"The SU-27 intercepted the U.S. aircraft flying a routine route at high rate of speed from the side then proceeded to perform an aggressive maneuver that posed a threat to the safety of the US aircrew in the RC-135," a defense spokesperson told CNN.
In an earlier incident that same month, a Russian pilot "performed erratic and aggressive maneuvers," including another barrel roll, within 50 feet of another US aircraft.
That April, Russian jets also buzzed the US Navy repeatedly, at one point coming within 30 fe et of a US Navy destroyer.
Source: Google News | Netizen 24 United States
