Tri-Service

WATCH: Russian Jets In "Simulated Attack" On Warship

The USS Donald Cook, a guided missile destroyer, was in international waters 70 miles off the coast of the Russian city of Kaliningrad earlier this week when the incidents occurred.

On April the 11th the twenty passes by the Sukhoi Su-24 supersonic attack aircraft, nicknamed Fencers, were so low and close that they left "wake in the water".

It's understood however that the Su-24's, travelling at an altitude of 100ft and within 1000 yards of the vessel, were not carrying visible weaponry other than their cannons in what's been described by American officials as one of the 'most aggressive acts in some time'.

The initial 'buzzing' of the Donald Cook was followed a day later by seven passes by a Russian Navy KA-27 Helix helicopter which is thought to have taken pictures of the ship. Two jets again then made numerous close passes.

Comment: The New Cold War Has Begun

It's not the first such incident however. The USS Ross was also subject to an aggressive Fencer flypast while operating in the Black Sea in 2015, captured on film in the video below.

The USS Donald Ross has also been the target of Russian fighter jets in the past. In 2014 the destroyer and its guided missile systems were allegedly rendered useless after being jammed, again by a passing Fencer.

There are claims that the Ross' crew were so demoralised that the ship returned to port with a number of shaken sailors asking to be relieved from active service.

Su-24's have been in service since 1974, most recently flying bombing missions for the Russian Air Force in Syria.

Notably it was a Russian Su-24 shot down by Turkish fighter jets last year after apparently straying out of Syrian airspace.

The two-man crew ejected although the pilot was later captured and murdered by rebel fighters, the weapons officer was rescued by Russian marines.

More: The Lethal Russian Air Power Deployed In Syria

SU-24 FACTFILE:

Maximum speed: 815 mph at sea level, 1,027mph at high altitude.

Combat radius: 382 miles, in a low-flying attack mission with 6,615 lb ordnance and external tanks.

Weaponry: Onboard 23 mm GSh-6-23 cannon, 500 rounds of ammunition.

Up to 17,640 lb ordnance, including radio-command missiles, laser-guided missiles, laser/TV-guided short-range air-to-surface missiles, TV-command guided missiles, anti-ship missiles and laser-guided bombs.

Unguided rocket launchers

Other options: general-purpose bombs, thermobaric bombs, cluster bombs, small-size cargo pods, external gun pods, external fuel tanks, and tactical nuclear bombs.