Navy releases video of Russians buzzing US destroyer
SUMMARY
The United States Navy released a video of Russian Su-24s buzzing the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) during an incident that took place this past February.
According to the London Daily Mail, the Russians denied any of the events had taken place; but the U.S. Navy cites three different incidents and describes them as "unprofessional and unsafe."
As We Are The Mighty reported back in February, four Russian aircraft, an Il-38 "May" maritime patrol aircraft and three Su-24 "Fencer" strike aircraft, buzzed the Porter in three separate incidents.
Such buzzing incidents have been common. In April 2016, the Daily Caller reported that the guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) was buzzed in the Baltic Sea by Su-24 Fencers while in international waters.
In June 2016, the USS Porter had entered the Black Sea to take part in NATO exercises. At the time, Russia threatened retaliation for the vessel's entrance.
Arleigh Burke-class destroyers have a single five-inch gun, two MK 41 vertical launch systems (one with 32 cells, the other with 64), a Mk 15 Phalanx Close-In Weapon System, and Mk32 324mm torpedo tubes.
The video of the buzzing is below:
