On the morning of November 17, two Russian fighter aircraft made an unsafe and unprofessional approach toward Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1), which was conducting routine operations in the Baltic Sea.
The Russian pilots failed to respond to Allied forces’ standing query communications and overflew the force at an altitude of 300 feet and a distance of 80 yards.
NATO deemed the interaction unsafe and unprofessional since it was conducted in a known danger area, which was activated for air defence training, and due to the aircraft altitude and proximity. The interaction increased the risk of miscalculations, mistakes, and accidents.
“NATO forces acted responsibly, fulfilling their mission, in full compliance with international air and maritime regulations. NATO will respond appropriately to any interference with NATO’s lawful activity in the area that endangers the safety of our aircraft, ships or their crews. NATO does not seek confrontation and poses no threat.”
The NATO vessels continued their sailing undeterred.
After a good port visit in 🇪🇪 Tallinn #SNMG1 is heading back to the Baltic Sea to participate in exercise Freezing Winds 🇫🇮 #WeAreNATO
📸rms Martin Liiskmaa pic.twitter.com/v00Xfr5caw— COM SNMG1 (@COM_SNMG1) November 21, 2022
SNMG1’s flagship Royal Netherlands Navy HNLMS Tromp, Norwegian Navy HNoMS Maud, and Royal Danish Navy HDMS Esbern Snare recently conducted a port visit in Finland’s capital city, Helsinki.
I wonder what Russian aircraft they were?
So Russia still does have an Airforce. Safely hidden from Ukraine buzzing NATO warships thousands of miles from the battle ( Russian Hero’s) 😀
Next time the ships should use the opportunity to test flairs or phalanx. See how close the Russian pilots want to get next time.
It’s not like the Orcs have planes to spare.
Tromp has Goalkeeper rather than Phalanx, but it would have still caused an international incident had it “tested” CIWS.
I think it was the De Zeven Provincien ship that first upgraded its radar for ballistic missile tracking and it’s fairly fresh out of a midlife update, so I expect they’ll have seen those planes coming as soon as they breasted the horizon no matter how far away that was. I wonder in a stituation like that, whether the SM-2s are made ready to fire.
It’s time to get tough on Russia’s cowboy armed forces. Start locking them up. Turkey had the right idea. Warned Russia plenty of times and then had enough of the Russian BS taking one down. Funnily enough Russia hasn’t tried it since.
👍
That’s exactly what they want, so they can analyse emissions, reaction times etc. so they can plan accordingly. We need more AEW so we can see them hundred miles away an go EMCON 🙂 show them nothing.
Little point in having antiair missiles, if in the current climate enemy aircraft can simulate attack runs at will, with complete impunity.
? The anti-air missiles are to shoot down an actual attacker not a poseur.
I don’t think they were attack runs, more the aerial equivalent of a few boy racers speeding by in their heap of shit Evos. I expect that the NATO group had them covered from a long way back. If they tried an attacking run, they’d probably miss anyway , get themselves shot down and ensure the destruction of their airforce.
Agreed 😂👍!
I’m not a big fan of the Turks but I agree – you have to admire them for following through and shooting the Russian plane down. Something we would never do.
Russia understands force. Time to activate defensive measures and warn them off.
Alternatively, fire off a SAM and “oops, sorry, malfunction.”
👍
Whilst I agree that the Russian tactics are super crude intimidation it is revealed that is all that there is to them.
The idea of live fire is an abomination, to me, as the risks of miscalculation and misrepresentation multiply exponentially.
As I understand it, they were buzzing a declared live fire exclusion zone. Which is just unbelievably stupid as test munitions may well be being fired, to well, test them…
And yet, Russia uses live fire against one of our aircraft.
Just because the other party is silly doesn’t mean we should be silly too.
If anything Russia behaviours are making the old rules based order look more appealing to China.
When the whole of Europe, America, Canada, Japan and Australia say naaaa then from an economic front you need to listen.
China needs a market for its output. Much as the Hermit Kingdom and the Mullahs might like to be that their market economic potential is limited by their behaviours: see a theme emerging?
It is a very good point on china. Although I think our problem is we do actually have to consider how we limit/ameliorate market access to China and combat its mercantile strategy….with China its less military ( at present, although as they are running full playbook, they will be aiming for domination of key domains, (sea, air, space and cyber as military is a real medium/long term threat ) and more the full scope of geopolitical warfare. They are a lot cleverer than the USSR or Russia and have a depth of geopolitical understanding as good as the best players… Read more »
Xi is just an old school slightly bad tempered bully. Who has, fortunately shown that clearly to the world before the world got sucked in too deep.
What was going on before was far more subtle.
But Xi has replaced all the subtle operators with the brass knuckle guys.
You may be right, it will be interesting to see what has happened now after Russia fuck up and will he puts the brass knuckles back in a velvet glove.. personally I think he would be an idiot to confront the west militarily as give it a decade more of leading the lamb to slaughter would have seen the west in a really shitty place against China. as it is Russia has managed to get the beast to open one eye, if China plays it wrong the west will probably move into full Cold War mode and we know how… Read more »
All the West needs to do is to impose a carbon tax on Chinese imports.
India will squeal too: they have zero intention of actually decarbonising. Too corrupt to do it anyway.
No point in the west crippling itself by decarbonising whilst China and India are giggling all the way to the bank making totally false promises everyone must know they can’t/won’t keep.
That is a very good idea on so many levels…
Agree, you don’t want to be responding with even potential deadly force to what is in reality a stupid act of provocation. The risks being taken by Russia are staggering, as you say if it was a live fire exercise with the correct warning issues they were asking for something to happen. If you were being cynical you could think that they were looking for an accident or near miss to happen…sort of like a geopolitical version of the insurance scam where someone purposely stops their car to get shunted. I know it’s not practical, for the reasons of both… Read more »
Hi Jonathans, I would say that the Ukrainians are doing a good job of paying back the karma and that many in the West are providing the tools necessary for them to do it. Having said that Russia’s actions in recent years have been remarkable for all the wrong reasons, irresponsible to the point of recklessness, and with nuclear weapons in the equation as well. Madness. Compared to the new Russia the USSR was a model world citzen, and that’s saying something and I ain’t forgetting the Cuban missile crisis either. Oh and just to be clear no I wasn’t… Read more »
Yes it’s a strange old world when an empire with the avowed aim of the destruction of all other forms of government was more responsible and a far more stable enemy that the present Russian government. at least you knew the Soviet Union would only go to war if 1) it thought it could win easily 2) it had no choice. Putin is more of a grab whatever I can in any way I can chaos makes opportunities sort of guy.
Not certain whether to be more concerned with antics of moronic, slobbering Orcs, or their masters higher in the food chain, who either tacitly approve, or tolerate these maneuvers. Incredibly brazen and stupid, when errant missiles are already falling in NATO territory. One slight miscalculation, and it might just hit the fan. 🤔😳
Agreed, (yawn) same in the 70’s. 👌👍
Problem is that would solve Putins domestic problems at a stroke.
That’s basically the initiation of a war which would end about 30-minutes later. Personally I don’t really think we have the calibre of politicians needed, on both sides, to diplomatically resolve a situation like that without it boiling over. In any case, right now I think NATO should just continue doing what it is doing as it shows we are not intimidated and the Ukrainians, demonstrating the superiority of their fighting forces and Western military technology, are giving Russia a hiding. Russia is much weaker than it was just a few months ago and the Russian government really don’t want… Read more »
It’s just the Russians stamping their feet. They want attention. They have to know the whole world is laughing at them, Maybe just blast the Ukranian national anthem over the airwaves. Other then that they’re not worth bothering with.
Looked at calmly and coldly, this is a good sign. The Russians are reduced to childish – but potentially deadly for all parties – playground antics. And that is it.
Well that’s their entire flying time for the next 12 months used-up, hope the pilots thought it was worth it 😏
Boring old chestnuts Russia. NATO does not get intimidated like that.
Little point in having antiair missiles, if in the current climate enemy aircraft can simulate attack runs at will, with complete impunity.
Any idea of the type of aircraft we are talking about here. Clearly, if the flyby was really “unsafe” and the Russian pilots ignored clear warnings. It would have constituted a deadly threat to the vessels and crews. Aga in, if that really was the case. The correct response should have been a missile or two, with the resultant splashed Ivan.
Looking at the Orcs rate of losing aircraft to accident’s at the moment I would say any time one of their s take to the sky it is unsafe!
Just proves how unprofessional and amateurish the Russian military is. Nothing to be feared.
the Russian ability to find new levels of stupidity never ceases to amaze
The two Russian aircraft were Su24s. They were just a tad unprofessional as they did quite a few very low-level passes in front of the ships bows. Worse, they passed either side of a US Navy ship, which is a big no-no for fly byes. They would have been hailed on both VHF and UHF distress frequencies to understand their intentions. Failing to respond, is a sure sign of FU diplomatically. But also, significantly increases the level of risk.
Well at least they didn’t crash into the bloody ships, as getting about 70-80hrs per annum means they are only just about safe to take off, navigate in a straight line and land! Anything else is way above their capabilities (aside from rape, torture, theft and murder)! Fucking Nazi dross!!!