Another Aerial Close Call As Russian Jet Barrel-Rolls Over U.S. Aircraft

[Purveyor]

Source: CNN

By Sophie Tatum and Barbara Starr, CNN
Updated 7:16 PM ET, Sat April 16, 2016

Washington (CNN)A United States Air Force reconnaissance plane was barrel-rolled by a Russian jet over the Baltic Sea during a routine flight in international airspace, U.S. European Command said Saturday.

The incident on Thursday occurred when a Russian jet "performed erratic and aggressive maneuvers" as it flew within 50 feet of the U.S. aircraft's wing tip, Danny Hernandez, a spokesman for European Command, said in a response to a question from CNN.

The Russian SU-27 began the barrel roll from the left side of the U.S. RC-135 and went over the top of it to end on the right side of the aircraft, European Command said.

The U.S. RC-135 aircraft was "intercepted by a Russian SU-27 in an unsafe and unprofessional manner," Hernandez said, adding that the U.S. plane never entered Russian territory.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/16/politics/russian-jet-barrel-rolled-us-aircraft/

[bkkyosemite]

1. What an ass

[thereismore]

2. Sounds like both aircraft were in international airspace.

A bit of bravado.

[arcane1]

3. We seem to be getting rather busy over there:

"In February, the Department of Defense announced it was spending $3.4 billion for the European Reassurance Initiative in an effort to deter Russian aggression against NATO allies following Russia's 2014 intervention in Ukraine.

In recent weeks, the U.S. has deployed additional military assets throughout Europe as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Air Force deployed F-15s to Iceland and the Netherlands and F-22s to the United Kingdom. And in February the U.S. announced that it would send six F-15s to Finland for a training exercise and pre-position tanks and artillery in Norway, both countries share a border with Russia."

[longship]

4. The RC-135 is the same as a Boeing 707.

Probably reengined and reskinned in the 80's. They are, like the B-52s, pretty marvelous aircraft.

[paleotn]

5. Barrel rolling...

...a slow and ugly isn't terribly tough for an SU-27. Damn, it's just like the old days. What's next? Tu-95 Bears and "fishing trawlers" shadowing our carrier battle groups?

[TexasProgresive]

7. I'm thinking

bumping destroyers is soon to come. Happy days are here again! We loves us some cold war.

[paleotn]

9. Yep. The bad ole days...

[jtuck004]

6. Maybe we shouldn't put out movies glorifying our pilots doing a barrel roll over open-mouthed

pseudo-soviet pilots, lest they show us how it is done in the real world.

[Igel]

8. Fictional aggression is sabre-rattling.

Real aggression is peace.

Whatever is needful to unblame the not-us and double-unwell speak of ours.

[EX500rider]

14. "WE"? You mean a private film company back in the '80's?

Maybe they can film, you know, whatever they want....and it's FICTION.

[EX500rider]

16. I know! And maybe they should shoot some American soldiers for all the ones we shot in Red Dawn!

I mean if they HAVE to react to 30 year old fictional movies put out by private companies.

[Democat]

17. Everything wrong is America's fault in your world?

No evil existed on the planet before America?

[jtuck004]

18. Sure it did, But the smell of hypocrisy and the stench of cowardice make it a

more typical American kind of evil.

On the other hand, it is the kind of place where one doesn't have to be annoyed by people who think the country never does anything wrong, and they can make it great again.

bye.

[snooper2]

19. I think this is like the 87th time you have shown everyone your slip

just FYI

[Renew Deal]

10. Treat them like a threat

[Purveyor]

11. That is right and think twice about more NATO eastern expansionism as no longer will it be left

unchallenged.

The great neocon crusades are coming to a screeching halt or tragic disaster.

This outcome it up to the 'west'.

[NuclearDem]

13. The former Soviet and Eastern bloc countries who joined NATO did so willingly.

Mostly because of how their lovely neighbor to the east treated them for centuries.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

12. Trust me, the Russian people are sick of this shit too....

BTW: When is the next American due to hitch a ride on a Soyuz to go to the ISS?

[Doctor_J]

15. Great...maverick and goose