The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) is forward deployed to Rota, Spain to help provide a ABM shield over Europe and allow NATO members to sleep well at night. Well, as part of her gig with 6th Fleet, she ran up to the Baltic Sea and chilled in Gdynia (formerly Danzig), the primary Polish Naval base. There, offshore, she conducted flight ops with a Polish Navy SH-2G Sea Sprite..
Isn’t it cute…
These these guys showed up,
160412-N-ZZ999-008 BALTIC SEA (April 12, 2016) A Russian Sukhoi Su-24 attack aircraft makes a very low altitude pass by USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) April 12, 2016. Donald Cook, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer forward deployed to Rota, Spain, is conducting a routine patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe. (U.S. Navy photo/Released)
On April 11, two Russian Su-24 attack planes made numerous passes while the destroyer, on routine deployment in support of NATO operations, was conducting operations with the Poles. Out of safety concerns, the Cook‘s commander suspended air operations.
Then on April 12, a Russian Ka-27 Helix helicopter began circling Cook, making no less than seven passes that were deemed “unsafe and unprofessional” by the ship’s commanding officer. This was followed up by another pair of Su-24s who made 11 low-altitude passes.
Just Ivan dropping in below the bridge wing…Welcome to the Baltic
“The Russian aircraft flew in a simulated attack profile and failed to respond to repeated safety advisories in both English and Russian,” noted a release from U.S. European Command.
Ironically, this is not the Cook‘s first brush with Russki Su24s, In 2014 a pair of Su-24s made “danger close” passes over the warship while in international waters in the Black Sea.
