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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."
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Monday November 02 2015, @11:22AM
You doubt the military has been sleeping on the job - but I know it has been. I've stood watch, staring at a radar screen. On a carrier, CIC is a huge place, and there aren't two or three people watching those screens - there are a dozen or more. At least four people should have been watching air radar screens, at any given time. So, at least four people should have known and reported that aircraft were approaching minutes before the aircraft arrived. How many minutes? I can't say precisely, since I wasn't there, but I can certainly say that period of time is greater than five minutes. SOMEONE aboard the carrier knew that those aircraft were approaching.
What's more, the destroyers and cruisers escorting the carrier knew the aircraft were inbound.
Someone was asleep. Or, some incompetent son of a bitch decided that it wasn't important. Or, some competent son of a bitch decided to stand down, and allow those aircraft to close with the carrier. Oh - talk about stirring the pot? Imagine either carrier's commanding officer, or the task force commander ordering everyone to just ignore the radar reports, and allow potentially hostile aircraft to overfly the carrier. What does that suggest? That suggests a direct order from the Pentagon to allow this crap to happen, FOR THE PURPOSE OF STIRRING THE POT!!
So, yes, your feeling is probably on target, but you're pointing fingers at the wrong cooks.
(Score: 1) by DutchUncle on Monday November 02 2015, @07:01PM
Or maybe people weren't asleep, and those planes were being tracked and targeted by other weapons that nobody wants to talk about, plus whatever aircraft were already patrolling. And maybe, just maybe, Putin can tell the difference between grandstanding and starting WW3.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday November 02 2015, @07:48PM
Tracking is what we did aboard destroyers. The aircraft made an "attack" run on us, and both of our guns as well as the missile launcher tracked them. They weren't just pointed up there, they were locked and loaded, and actively tracking. And, we felt rather impotent in most cases, because it was the Russian's move first. We weren't permitted to blow them out of the sky unless and until they fired a weapon.
Carriers flew intercept missions. They didn't get overflown. The Russians knew that, we knew that, and everyone lived with the facts of life. They could dog a task force for months, but if they came inside of that red line, an interceptor was right there, in front of them.
Grandstanding or whatever, it appears our guys have no balls.