Russia SU-27 Fighter Flies Dangerously Close To USAF RC-135 Plane

A Russian fighter jet flew dangerously close to an American reconnaissance aircraft during an "unprofessional" intercept in international airspace over the Black Sea last month, the Pentagon said Friday.
The American RC-135 was conducting routine operations May 30 when a Russian SU-27 Flanker flew up from behind, passed underneath then crossed over to the American plane's right-hand side. "This intercept was conducted unprofessionally" . "It may have been a lack of training on the part of the Russian pilot. It may have been just a general level of unprofessionalism of the individual who was flying the Flanker", told USAF Spokeperson
The Russian plane came within just 10 feet of the US aircraft.
The US plane was intercepted a second time on the same flight, but that was deemed to have been done appropriately.
Russian and US planes routinely monitor each other's movements in international airspace, but this encounter is the latest in a series of incidents sparking concerns over how Russia carries out airborne intercepts.
On April 7, a Russian Flanker jet performed "aggressive manuevers" in close proximity to a US reconnaissance plane in an incident that occurred over the Baltic Sea, in international airspace north of Poland.
The US Navy last month posted a video on YouTube showing a Russian SU-24 jet flying close to the American guided-missile destroyer USS Ross in the Black Sea. The Navy said the Russian jet was not carrying weapons.
defensenews

USAF Deploy B-2, B-52 bombers to Europe for military exercises

Two U.S. Air Force B-2 stealth bombers on Sunday joined B-52s in Europe for additional exercises.
The Spirits and airmen from the 509th and 131st Bomb Wings traveled from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, to RAF Fairford, England, and conducted hot-pit refueling and engine-running crew change skills tests, according to an Air Force news release.
The events were meant to demonstrate the "ability of the aircraft to forward deploy and deliver conventional and nuclear deterrence anytime and anywhere," the release said. The release did not say how long the B-2s would remain in the region.
On Friday, three B-52 bombers deployed to Europe where they will fly training missions over the Baltic Sea.
The Stratofortresses and 330 airmen, assigned to 5th Bomb Wing, Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, will participate in multinational exercises Baltic Operations 15 (BALTOPS) and Saber Strike 15 during their month-long deployment to RAF Fairford.
The aircraft will demonstrate the "United States' long-range global strike capability" in the region in addition to coordinate training with partners and allies at a time when Russian-backed separatists have increased their offensive in eastern Ukraine.
Recently, Russian aircraft acted aggressively toward American warships in international waters. The Navy released footage last week of Russian Su-24 aircraft flying past the USS Ross in the Black Sea.
militarytimes

Russia warplanes head off US destroyer in Black Sea

Russian military aircraft were dispatched to head off a US warship that was acting "aggressively" in the Black Sea, Russia's state news agency RIA reported, but the Pentagon denied any unusual behaviour.
RIA quoted an anonymous source in Russia's armed forces in Crimea as saying on Sunday that the guided missile destroyer USS Ross was moving along the edge of Russia's territorial waters and heading in their direction.
"The crew of the ship acted provocatively and aggressively, which concerned the operators of monitoring stations and ships of the Black Sea Fleet," RIA quoted the source as saying.
"Su-24 attack aircraft demonstrated to the American crew readiness to harshly prevent a violation of the frontier and to defend the interests of the country."
Pentagon spokeswoman said the USS Ross was "well within international waters at all times, performing routine operations".
"The US navy operates routinely in the Black Sea, in accordance with international law," noting the Ross' deployment to the Black Sea had been publicly announced.
Russia's defence ministry was not immediately available to comment on the report.
The incident is the latest example of encounters between Russian and Western militaries, as tensions continue over the crisis in Ukraine and Russia's annexation of the Crimea peninsula, home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, last year.
Earlier this month, both Britain and Sweden said that they had scrambled fighters to intercept Russian bombers near their territory.
The US said last month that it was filing a complaint to Russia over a Russian fighter's "sloppy" and unsafe interception of a US reconnaissance plane in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.
aljazeera

US Navy Destroyer USS Ross enters Black Sea amid tensions

The destroyer Ross is heading into the Black Sea on Wednesday, a 6th Fleet release said, to “promote peace and stability” in the region as tensions mount between Russia and Ukraine.
The Ross and the French ship Commandant Birot will be on patrol. The ships are are arriving after the exit of the cruiser Vella Gulf, which began making its way back to its Norfolk, Virginia, home port in late August.
The Vella Gulf spent much of the summer on patrol in the Black Sea. Ross, homeported in Rota, Spain, is on its first ballistic missile defense patrol since its home port shift in June and first deployment since 2010.
navytimes

USS Ross, Second USN destroyer to arrive in Rota to begin BMD mission

The second of four US Navy (USN) destroyers assigned to support Washington's missile defence architecture in Europe has arrived in Rota, Spain, on 16 June.
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) completed its transit from its former home port in Norfolk, Virginia, and has begun its new mission as a forward-deployed USN warship at Naval Station Rota as part of the three-pronged US plan for ballistic missile defence (BMD) in Europe.
Ross joins USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) as part of a quartet of USN destroyers to provide the initial phase of the European Phased Adaptive Approach.
janes