Two Russian aircraft got within one nautical mile of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan on Tuesday, prompting the ship to scramble its fighter jets, according to a report.
While U.S. and Russian officials recently reached a memorandum of understanding to keep planes a safe distance apart over Syria, this incident suggests the document will not improve interactions between Russian and U.S. assets throughout the world.
The carrier was sailing in international waters near the Korean Peninsula when two Russian reconnaissance planes flew as low 500 as feet near the carrier, Stars and Stripes reported. Four F/A-18 Super Hornets took off from the Reagan in response to the Russian planes’ actions.
U.S. service members tried to contact the Russian pilots, but received no response. Another U.S. ship with the Reagan followed the Russian planes as they flew away, according to the Stripes article.
“We are advocates of any country being able to operate within international norms,” Lt. Lauren Cole, a 7th Fleet spokeswoman, told the newspaper. “We do caveat that with the fact that all of these operations need to be conducted in accordance with the rights and regulations of other countries, and within a safe manner.”
Tuesday’s close pass is just the latest incident in a string of Russian aircraft pushing the boundaries of what’s acceptable under international law.
A Russian jet buzzed the destroyer Donald Cook in the Black Sea in April, which the White House deemed a provocation that would “come with a cost.”
Russian planes have also repeatedly violated Turkish airspace recently in the Middle East.
