After 1991, when an Iraqi MiG shot down one of the American Hornets over the Persian Gulf, F / A-18s did not have combat contact with Russian-built fighters. However, in November 2000, there was still a meeting between American carrier-based aircraft and Russian Air Force fighters, which was "as close as possible" to combat.

To begin with, one should give the floor to an American pilot, a direct eyewitness of the events described (the text of his letter sent by e-mail from the aircraft carrier "Kitty Hawk", in addition to the will of the author of the message, became public).

“... The sailing was quite easy and interesting: 54 days at sea, 4 in port and 45 hours of flight in October alone! (for comparison, many pilots of the Russian Air Force have an annual flight time of about 45-60 hours with the required 200-250) Yeah, we flew off our asses! Since I became one of the squadron commanders, I have been flying a lot. Here interesting story(and it's not bullshit).

So, I'm sitting there and chatting about all sorts of garbage with my deputy, and we hear a call on the box from the BIC (combat information center- the "brain" of the ship). - They say: "Sir, we spotted Russian planes."

The captain replies: "Declare an alarm, raise fighters." They say from the center: you can only announce "Alarm-30" (departure in 30 minutes (!) From the moment of the announcement). The captain swore and said: "Pull everything you can into the air as quickly as possible!" I ran to the navigational telephone and contacted the squadron duty officer. It wasn't our squadron on duty that day, so I told him to find out who was on duty and get them to get their asses up and rush to the flight deck (Alarm 7 only assumes you're already on the flight deck and ready to go up in the air: "Alarm-30" means that you are still sitting in the waiting room).

Soon, Russian Su-27s and Su-24s passed directly over the Kitty Hawk's bridge at 500 knots. Just like in the movie "Top Gun"! The bridge officers spilled their coffee and said...! (An obscene expression that has a very emotional Russian counterpart.) At that moment I looked at the captain - his face was purple.

The Russian fighters made two more tight turns at low altitude before we finally launched our first aircraft from the deck. It was ... EA-6B "Prowler" (electronic warfare aircraft). Yes, yes, we launched the unfortunate Prowler one-on-one against a fighter directly above the ship. Our pilots were already asking for help when finally F / A-18s from the "sister" squadron (I use this term literally, since they looked like a company of "women of easy virtue" (the phrase in quotation marks has been replaced by a more decent- administration note), flirting with the Russians) took to the air to intercept. But it was too late. The whole team looked up and watched as the Russians made a mockery of our shabby attempt to stop them.

The funny thing is that the admiral and the commander of the aircraft carrier formation were in the command hall at the morning meeting, which was interrupted by the roar of the turbines of Russian aircraft circling over the wheelhouse of the aircraft carrier. The commander's staff officer told me that they looked at each other, at the flight plan, made sure that on this day the launch was envisaged only in a few hours, and asked: "What was that?"

Four days later, the Russian intelligence service e-mailed the commander of the Kitty Hawk photos of our pilots darting around the deck, desperately trying to get the planes into the air ... ".

The events described in the letter took place in the area of ​​the Korea Strait on October 17, 2000. Two Su-24MR reconnaissance aircraft and a unit of Su-27 interceptor fighters from the 11th Air Force and Air Defense Army took part in the overflight of the American multi-purpose aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. . According to the then Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force Anatoly Karnukov, "it was a planned reconnaissance, during which, however, unusual tasks were solved." At the same time, no international agreements were violated by the Russian side.

It should be noted that the American naval maneuvers took place only 300 km from the Russian coast, which in itself could not be regarded as a friendly act towards our country. Therefore, actions Russian aviation were completely justified and legitimate.

According to the Commander-in-Chief, the reconnaissance results "were impressive." Su-24MR made several visits to the aircraft carrier, photographing everything that happens on the flight deck. The pictures showed panic on board the ship: the sailors began to urgently cut the hoses connecting the aircraft carrier to the tanker, which at that time was transferring fuel to the Kitty Hawk.

The F/A-18 fighters were able to take to the air only after the second entry of Russian reconnaissance aircraft, however, the Su-27s immediately took them away from the ship in a distracting maneuver, which allowed the reconnaissance aircraft to perform several more flights over the aircraft carrier, which was completely defenseless from the air. According to the press, the overflight of the Kitty Hawk by Russian aircraft was repeated on November 9 and was also successful.

Here is how the media described the events:

1) On December 7 in Washington, US military officials Kenent Bacon and Admiral Steven Pietropaoli held a press conference at which they revealed some details of a series of incidents in the Sea of ​​Japan, when Russian aircraft- Su-27 and Su-24 reconnaissance aircraft flew up to a critical distance to the American aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk based there.

Some time later, an email arrived on the aircraft carrier, Bacon said Thursday, containing two photographs of the deck of the Kitty Hawk taken from Russian aircraft during one such Russian Air Force action. The letter also contained a short message in Russian, the content of which Amiral Pietropaoli refused to clarify, UPI reports. According to him, the letter was not sent from the Russian Ministry of Defense, and the sender is unknown to the Pentagon representative.

In addition, Kenneth Bacon said that at a press conference a week ago, when he also spoke about the actions of Russian pilots, he made a number of inaccuracies. Firstly, there were not two, but three cases of overflights by Russian aircraft - on October 12, October 17 and November 9. Secondly, during the October 17 incident, the planes were not “detected at an acceptable distance” a few hundred meters from the ship, as previously reported by the Russian Air Force, but flew directly over the aircraft carrier, which led the US military into confusion. At this moment, the pictures were taken, subsequently sent to Kitty Hawk.

Lenta.ru 8.12.00

2) Russian warplanes in the Sea of ​​Japan successfully conducted an operation to overcome the air defense of the American aircraft carrier multi-purpose strike group led by the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk (KittyHawkCV63). Information about this, published by the Izvestiya newspaper, was confirmed to Interfax on Tuesday by informed sources in the Russian military department. According to them, this happened twice in the Sea of ​​Japan at the moment when the US aircraft carrier group was heading for exercises in the Korea Strait (October 17) and when it was returning from maneuvers (November 9) ... (Interfax November 14, 2000)

According to some reports, the planes were from the 11th Air Army (commander - Lieutenant General Anatoly Nagovnitsyn). The deck at the Kitty Hawk was completely unprepared for resistance, and the Americans seriously decided that they were being attacked, and in a panic they began to cut off fuel communications so that there would be no big explosion and fire during the attack. Then they raised the "Hornets" and tried to accompany the "sushki" to the coast.

On the same day, Anatoly Kornukov stated that “The leadership of the General Staff of the Armed Forces highly appreciated the work of Russian pilots who opened the air defense system of the US aircraft carrier strike formation led by the Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier. According to him, all pilots will be presented for awards. “It was a planned reconnaissance, although unusual tasks were solved during it. The results of this reconnaissance are impressive,” the commander-in-chief emphasized.

On October 17, 2000, two Su-24 and Su-27 combat aircraft from the 11th Army of the Russian Air Force and Air Defense discovered the Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier and flew in close proximity to it, at an altitude of about 60 m. At the time of the flight, the ship was replenishing reserves on the move in the northern part of the Sea of ​​Japan, between the island of Hokkaido and the Russian mainland. After the flyby, the Russian pilots sent the pictures they took to the aircraft carrier's website. The overflights were repeated on October 20 and November 9

A month later, representatives of the US Department of Defense officially recognized the fact of the overflight of the aircraft carrier. Russian funds mass media prefer the term "conditional destruction".

In the video, one of the American sailors can be heard shouting that the Russian plane is flying over the deck below the level of the superstructure: “Flying at bridge level! Below the level of the bridge!”

Landing Su-24. Photo: Valery Sharifulin/TASS

Dangerous maneuvers: Russian Su-24 bombers flew several times over the US destroyer Donald Cook 30 meters above the deck in the Baltic Sea. This was reported by Reuters, citing its own military source in the US leadership.

Journalists note that the first incident occurred on April 11. At that time, two bombers of the Russian Aerospace Forces flew 20 times near the destroyer Donald Cook, which was conducting joint maneuvers with Poland in the southeastern part of the Baltic Sea. The next day, as the source of the agency said, the situation repeated itself: on April 12, the Su-24 approached Donald Cook at an even shorter distance, and on that day a Russian helicopter flew up to the destroyer.

In a video of the overflight fighter released by the Pentagon, one of the American sailors shouts that the Russian plane is flying over the deck below the level of the ship's superstructure. The video was taken from the deck of an American destroyer. It can be seen that an airplane flies over the ship, and it really flies very low: “It flies at the level of the bridge! Below the level of the bridge!”

The Russian Defense Ministry said that Russian pilots turned away from the American destroyer in compliance with all security measures. As Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the ministry, said, "the reason for such a painful reaction of our American colleagues is not clear." He noted: “The crews of the Su-24 aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out scheduled training flights over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea. The flight route of the Russian aircraft passed through the area where the US Navy destroyer Donald Cook was located, about 70 km from the Russian naval base.

In turn, the White House condemned the overflights of Russian Su-24s over a US Navy destroyer in the Baltic Sea. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said that the US administration considers them "not in line with the norms of military behavior."

This topic is actively discussed in foreign media. The dangerous nature of the overflights is noted by the CNN website. A Polish helicopter was on board the American ship for training purposes. This sparked speculation that the Russians had sent a warning signal to Poland. The US military says the plane simulated a combat attack by flying over the vessel at low altitude.

The Russian military maneuvers are taking place against the backdrop of heightened tensions on NATO's eastern flank. Earlier this month, the US deployed additional military forces to Europe. F-15 fighters were stationed in Iceland and the Netherlands, F-22 - in Britain. In February, the US announced it would be sending six F-15s to conduct exercises in Finland, with additional armor and artillery deployed in Norway, which borders Russia, CNN concludes.

The US military emphasizes that Donald Cook was in neutral waters. According to the ABC television channel, the incidents occurred three times this week - on April 10 and 12. The Su-24s were not armed with missiles, they flew over the destroyer, making a maneuver, as in an attack, the source of the ABC television channel said.

According to the Wall Street Journal, one of the episodes occurred when a Polish helicopter was supposed to take off from the deck of Donald Cook, because of the Su-24, the takeoff had to be postponed. The Russian Su-24 performed one of the maneuvers 9 meters above the destroyer.
The Pentagon has already called these maneuvers of Russian aviation the most aggressive in recent times.

Donald Cook is a fourth-generation US Navy destroyer whose main weapon is guided missiles. According to the BBC, the destroyer was heading to the Polish port of Gdansk. Navy Times writes: "The Russian pilots tickled the nerves, of course, but they were not a real threat." As military expert Captain Rick Hoffman, former commander of the DeWert frigate, told the publication, “if you have visual contact, you can see that there are no weapons on board the fighter, and you cannot shoot at people just because they annoy you.”

Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the online publication "Ezhednevny Zhurnal"“You just have to ask yourself: even if the Americans do not take any action, the maneuvers are still quite dangerous. And if a catastrophe happens, a Russian plane crashes while maneuvering over an American destroyer? This could well lead to a military conflict. Russian leaders find it necessary to get on American nerves from time to time. Let's hope that those nerves are in order. This is a provocation and a sign that they should not swim to our borders. If you remember, Mr. Medvedev, when he was president, said that Russia has the right to privileged interests in certain regions. We certainly include both the Baltic and the Black Sea among such regions. In this way we defend our right to a privileged interest. But this is a kind of air hooliganism. Our planes don't fly over Chinese ships like that."

The United States, through diplomatic channels, turned to Russia in connection with reports of Russian aircraft approaching an American destroyer, the US European Command said in a statement. Meanwhile, there have been calls in the US Congress to strengthen the US fleet in Europe. As Chairman of the House Naval Subcommittee Randy Forbes said, "US Navy activity in Europe must be expanded in such a way as to respond to the threat posed by Russia's international behavior."

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called "unsafe and unprofessional" the flight of the Russian Su-24 next to the destroyer. NATO will raise this issue at the Russia-NATO Council meeting on 20 April. The Polish Foreign Ministry said that Poland and the United States will develop a common response in connection with the incident with Russian aircraft in the Baltic Sea.

The incident involving the flight of a Russian Su-24 bomber over the US destroyer Donald Cook in the Baltic Sea is reminiscent of deja vu. Exactly two years ago, a similar meeting between "Cook" and "Sushka" over the Black Sea made a lot of noise. According to media reports, in April 2014, the crew of this American warship was frightened by the electronic warfare equipment used by the Russian aircraft, which paralyzed the destroyer's on-board equipment - then 27 crew members filed a transfer report.

Two years after that incident, the defendants "relocated" to the Baltic Sea. Here, according to reports from the American side, two Su-24 aircraft, presumably without ammunition, flew near the destroyer Donald Cook, which was conducting training sessions with the participation of the Polish Air Force helicopter. Russian bombers flew near an American ship for two days in a row, and also prevented a Polish helicopter from taking off. A Russian military helicopter Ka-27 was also seen nearby.

“We have deep concerns about unsafe and unprofessional Russian maneuvers.

These actions have the potential to escalate tensions between countries, ”the representatives are quoted as saying.

Hero of Russia, Honored Test Pilot of the USSR, Colonel Anatoly Kvochur also noted that all pilots must master this maneuver - flying at extremely low altitude. It is necessarily included in the combat training course for fighter-bomber aviation, as well as for tactical bombers, which is the Su-24.

“It is used for covert approach to the target. This is especially important when the terrain is rugged, and above the sea it can be seen from afar.

But at a good speed, and it was about 900 km / h, it is difficult to detect such an aircraft in advance - at low altitude it is a point, which then turns into a large, rather strong buzzing object, ”the source says.

As is known, Su-24 bomber - front-line bomber with variable sweep wing, designed to deliver missile and bomb strikes in simple and difficult weather conditions, day and night, including at low altitudes with targeted destruction of ground and surface targets. Variable sweep wing is a type of design aircraft heavier than air with a fixed wing, which allows you to change in flight one of the types of wing geometry - sweep. At high flight speeds, a larger sweep is more effective, and at low speeds (takeoff, landing) - a smaller one.

“Because they came with a straight wing—it’s a cruise and landing wing—it’s obvious that the speed was low,” explains Kvochur. —

If they folded the wing to maximum sweep, then it would be possible to fly at a speed of 1300-1400 km / h, which would lead to serious pop, because supersonic speed pulls the so-called shock wave and pulls such a wave. This wave can lead to the destruction of some weakly reinforced structures, such as antennas, and on the ground it can lead to the destruction of small buildings, ”the pilot clarifies.

He noted that, obviously, the commanders did not allow the wing to be folded so as not to aggravate the situation. “If these pilots made such a maneuver on their own initiative, based on patriotic and professional considerations, then this is the commander’s business, but I would encourage them for their professionalism,” says the Hero of Russia.

According to US military sources, Russian aircraft flew over the destroyer Donald Cook in neutral waters at an altitude of less than 30 m, about 10 m from it, which, in their opinion, was "unprofessional and unsafe."

“On Tuesday, a pair of Russian combat Su-24s, presumably unarmed, flew around the Cook 11 times. At one point, the Russian aircraft was 30 feet (9.14 m) away from the ship,” Pentagon spokesman Michelle Baldansa said in a statement.

Commenting on the statements of the American side about "unprofessional behavior", the honored pilot of Russia emphasized that everything was done cleanly, without rough edges.

“In general, flying over the sea at extremely low altitude is a rather serious matter, because it is difficult to determine the height. When you fly over the earth's surface, there are some irregularities, there is something for the eye to catch on, and so is the sea and the sea. This is a serious matter that requires professionalism,” he told Gazeta.Ru.

At the same time, he added that it is much easier to fly near the ship, which is a landmark, having its height. “It would be possible to fly in such a way that a wave would rise and the water would steam up a little, it would wash the eyes of the Americans a little,” Kvochur joked.

Meanwhile, the American side, having studied the incident, used diplomatic channels to appeal to Russia. The U.S. Congressman in charge of naval affairs stated that "the activity of the US Navy in Europe must be expanded in such a way as to respond to the threat posed by Russia's international behavior." Although, as retired US Navy officer Rick told The Navy Times, the American destroyer did not open fire on Russian aircraft flying dangerously close to the ship, since they were not armed and did not pose a threat: “We are not at war with Russia,” Hoffman said, noting that people should not be killed just because “they are annoying.”

Recall that Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Donald Cook equipped with the Aegis air defense system with anti-missiles, as well as cruise missiles Tomahawk. The decision to hit targets threatening the ship can be made automatically.

As Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor said on Thursday, all flights of Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft are carried out in strict accordance with international rules for using airspace over neutral waters. “The flight path of the Russian aircraft passed through the area where the USS Donald Cook was located, about 70 km from the Russian naval base. Having found the ship in the zone of visual visibility, the Russian pilots turned away from it in compliance with all security measures,” Konashenkov said.

As Colonel Kvochur explained to Gazeta.Ru, as for the lapel, this is true, and once again emphasized the professionalism of the pilots when performing the maneuver. “They did not fly over the ship and its superstructures at such a speed that people got on deck there. They turned away, walked aside at a considerable distance. If they went supersonic, there would be cotton. But I hope that in the near foreseeable future it will not come to this in relations with American partners, ”he concluded.

Warsaw also expressed its opinion on the incident. The head of Poland said that, together with the United States, they would "consider a common response" to the incident, since "it was carried out mainly against a Polish helicopter." According to him, "this type of provocative behavior" has been observed "for some time now", and the question is "what is its purpose and why it was needed."