Russian Warship 'Aggressively Approaches' A US Navy Destroyer In The Arabian Sea, Coming Within Just 60 Yards Of A Collision After Ignoring Five Warnings
January 10, 2020
A Russian navy ship 'aggressively approached' a U.S. Navy destroyer in the North Arabian Sea on Thursday, the US Navy's Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet said in a statement on Friday.
The Fifth Fleet said the US destroyer USS Farragut sounded five short blasts and requested the Russian ship alter course.
'The Russian ship initially refused but ultimately altered course and the two ships opened distance from one another,' the statement said.
A Russian warship got dangerously close to a US destroyer in the Arabian this week, forcing the American vessel to sound off five loud blasts of its horn The blasts helped avoid a collision between the two (pictured)
The Russian warship is seen video footage released by the US Navy, inching dangerously close to the USS Farragut on Thursday
Tensions are high in the Middle East after a December 27 US drone attack killed Quds commander Qassem Soleimani, a key leader in Iran, which fired back with missile strikes.
Russia has been a main backer of Syria's dictator Bashar al-Assad, and has tipped the balance of power in his favor over the past four years with government forces now in control in most of the country.
Iran, and Soleimani in particular, also helped defend the Assad regime during the country's nine-year civil war and led troops in recapturing large parts of the country as the tide turned in his favor.
Vladimir Putin even visited Syria a day before Wednesday's Iranian strike on Iraqi bases housing US forces, causing extensive damage, but no loss of life.
President Trump said Iran 'appears to be standing down' after the missiles strike preceded Friday's close encounter in the North Arabian Sea.
The Farragut was conducting routine operations in the North Arabian Seawhen it was was 'aggressively approached' by the unnamed Russian Navy ship, said Commander Joshua Frey, a spokesman for the US 5th Fleet.
The US Fifth Fleet tweeted Friday about the close encounter between a Russian warship and the USS Farragut in the North Arabian Sea a day earlier
The Fifth Fleet's follow up tweets detail how the Russian ship finally 'took action,' adding that the 'initial delay in complying with international rules while it was making an aggressive approach increased the risk of collision'
'Farragut sounded five short blasts, the international maritime signal for danger of a collision, and requested the Russian ship alter course in accordance with international rules of the road,' Frey said in a released statement.
'The Russian ship initially refused but ultimately altered course and the two ships opened distance from one another,' the spokesman said.
'While the Russian ship took action, the initial delay in complying with international rules while it was making an aggressive approach increased the risk of collision.'
The Russia warship is seen in footage released by the navy after it altered course to avoid a collisson with the Farragut
Pictured, the USS Farragut, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and fifth Navy ship named for Admiral David Farragut. It was commissioned in June 2006
The close encounter between a Russian warship and USS Farragut took place in the North Arabian Sea
Russia and the US blamed each other for a near collision between their warships in the East China Sea in June, with both countries accusing one another of dangerous and unprofessional behavior.
Russia's Pacific Fleet said that the USS Chancellorsville, a guided-missile cruiser, had come within just 50 meters (165 feet) of the Russian destroyer Admiral Vinogradov, which had been forced to take emergency action to avoid a collision, Russian news agencies reported.
They cited a Russian Pacific Fleet statement as saying the incident took place in the early hours of June 5 in the eastern part of the East China Sea at a time when a group of Russian warships was on a parallel course with a US naval strike group.
'The US guided-missile cruiser Chancellorsville suddenly changed course and cut across the path of the destroyer Admiral Vinogradov coming within 50 meters of the ship,' the statement said.
'A protest over the international radio frequency was made to the commanders of the American ship who were warned about the unacceptable nature of such actions,' it said.
The USS Chancellorsville (pictured) was involved when Russia and the US blamed each other for a near collision between their warships in the East China Sea in June, with both countries accusing one another of dangerous and unprofessional behavior
That version of events was rejected by the US Navy, which said the behavior of the Russian ship had been 'unsafe and unprofessional.'
'While operating in the Philippine Sea, a Russian Destroyer...made an unsafe maneuver against USS Chancellorsville,' U.S. Seventh Fleet spokesman Commander Clayton Doss said.
'This unsafe action forced Chancellorsville to execute all engines back full and to maneuver to avoid collision.'
Re: Russia behind Iran - to start WW3
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