Four Russian aircraft flew low over a US Navy destroyer on February 10, 2017 marking the first of these types of maneuvers by the Russians since President Trump took office. The Navy stated that the aircraft flew over at unusually low altitude and at high speed.
The commander of the USS Porter (DDG 78), a guided missile destroyer, said the flybys were potentially dangerous.
Watch: Previous Low Passes on US Navy Ships by Russian Jets
‘There were several incidents involving multiple Russian aircraft,’ said Navy Capt. Danny Hernandez, spokesman for the European Command. ‘They were assessed by the commanding officer as unsafe and unprofessional.
‘USS Porter queried all aircraft and received no response,’ Hernandez said.
‘Such incidents are concerning because they can result in accident or miscalculation,’ he said referring to actions that could spark an unintended shootout by military forces. – Daily Mail
The USS Porter is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and was launched in 1997. The ship is 505 feet in length, can travel at a speed of over 30 knots, has a range of 4400 nautical miles and carries a crew of 280 personnel.
On Aug. 12, 2012 the guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) was damaged in a collision with the Japanese owned oil tanker M/V Otowasan in the Strait of Hormuz. Photo by US Navy.
Featured image of a Russian Su-24 fighter jet making a low pass on the USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) in April 2016 by US Navy