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posted by martyb on Monday November 02 2015, @02:51AM   Printer-friendly
from the what-are-you-looking-at? dept.

CNN reports that the US Navy launched four armed F/A-18 fighter jets to intercept two Russian Tu-142 Bear aircraft that were flying near the 100,000-ton aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan while it was participating in a bilateral training exercise with South Korea in the Pacific Ocean. "It is standard operating procedure for U.S. planes to escort aircraft flying in the vicinity of U.S. Navy ships," says Navy Cmdr. William J. Marks. "This type of interaction is not unprecedented. Overall I would characterize the interaction as safe." The Nimitz-class nuclear-powered USS Reagan is essentially a floating airport, complete with an air traffic control center that tracks and communicates with nearby aircraft. When the carrier engages in flight operations, it institutes a carrier control zone, which extends up to 2,500 feet and within a five-mile radius, according to the Navy's flight training instruction carrier procedures.

The lack of communication by the Russian aircraft conflicted with general aviation practice. Even commercial airports of any significant size generally expect two-way radio contact when aircraft fly as close as the Russians did, according to international aviation guidelines. Encounters such as these were common during the Cold War. They subsided with its end but picked up again under current Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Over the last few years and particularly this year and last year, with the start of the Ukraine crisis, Russia has picked up the number of sorties," says Nick de Larrinaga. adding that Putin wants to show Russia is "still a global military power and a force to be reckoned with."


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 02 2015, @08:52AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 02 2015, @08:52AM (#257415)

    If you look up the Tu-142 Bear, and skim through it you can understand a little more about the response. One could assume these aircraft were providing relay for a Russian submarine, presumably closer to the Ronald Regan. If i were a military man... I would be darn sure my spiffy newly retrofitted Nimitz class has a Submarine of the same ilk, providing another form of no-go zone below the surface.

  • (Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Monday November 02 2015, @09:35AM

    by MichaelDavidCrawford (2339) Subscriber Badge <mdcrawford@gmail.com> on Monday November 02 2015, @09:35AM (#257425) Homepage Journal

    Back in the day I saw a photo that was snapped through the periscope of a Chinese sub that had penetrated a US carrier group to within torpedo range of a US ship.

    That sub then made it back to China where that photo was blasted all over the worldwide press.

    At one time it turned right up in google. Now I can't find it anywhere.

    --
    Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 02 2015, @03:20PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 02 2015, @03:20PM (#257524)

    Don't worry. They do.

  • (Score: 1) by donkeyhotay on Monday November 02 2015, @04:07PM

    by donkeyhotay (2540) on Monday November 02 2015, @04:07PM (#257546)

    All aircraft carrier battle groups have a couple of attack subs assigned to them.