A Russian fighter jet made multiple, close-range passes near an American warship in the Black Sea for more than 90 minutes Saturday amid escalating tensions in the region, a U.S. military official said Monday.
In the first public account of the incident, the official said the Russian Fencer flew within 1,000 yards of the USS Donald Cook, a Navy destroyer, at about 500 feet above sea level. Ship commanders considered the actions provocative and inconsistent with international agreements, prompting the ship to issue several radio queries and warnings.
On the bright side, we could see the plane was unarmed. But under different circumstances, what if we weren't sure and opened fire in the belief that the plane was preparing to attack?
With a Russian frigate shadowing our ship, too (but not dangerously close), maybe we'd hit their ship as well, fearing they were acting together.
Or what if we took defensive actions against the plane that the frigate mistook for threatening action?
Watching us in international waters is fine. But risking a shooting match is just stupid.
