Looks a lot closer than 45 yards!
A convenient way to get some good hi-res photos of a US Navy warship.
Decatur maneuvered to avoid collision. In the Chinese mind, China won.
Their very saying it puts the lie to it.
Ping.
How in the HELL does a ship from the Chinese Navy even get within 5 miles of one of our ships ?????????
deep State is looking for a war to consolidate their elitist hold on the country. Damned neocons.
I see two different scenarios based on the wakes of these vessels.
Either the Chinese vessel came up from behind and passed by the Decatur on the port side, which I can’t see any good Captain to allow. Or the Decatur came up from behind, approached the stern of the Chinese vessel, and then turned to starboard.
The wakes are definitely parallel...
Another provocation by China. China holds around one trillion dollars of US debt. It would be a shame if Trump loses the paperwork on that debt.
Was the ship at GQ?
Was a collision alarm sounded?
Nothing NEW, just a new ‘player’
The Russkies and USN played ‘chicken of the sea’ on a (sort of) regular basis, using their trawlers to interfere with day to day ops.
After I had left, that LST I was on played chicken with a Russian freighter on the open seas.
Just another day at the office to go along with the typhoons, reckless Japanese fishing craft, small boats in Hong Kong Harbor, just ‘waiting’ to get hit by one of ‘Unka Sugahs’ fine craft, just to get the big ‘payday’.
We’ll be going toe-to-toe with these Red a$$holes soon.
They’ll probably come parachuting in while we’re fighting their pals in the civil war.
.……..the Decatur crew got a little excitement to break up the boredom as I guarantee you this was a “Real General Quarters event”.
Even in a drill, which I’ve been through many of, that voice on the ships PA system yelling out “General Quarters, General Quarters...…….all hands man your battle stations” is a hair raising event. All my uncles experienced it “For Real” in the south Pacific in WWII. In memory of them, let me say I had 3 uncles on my dads side and 4 on my mothers side. They ALL served in the War. Most in the Navy several Army. So proud of them all. One survived being a medic on Saipan.
Same thing as 2 planes buzzing each other. Been going on for years and years. No biggie.
Like all arrogant bullies, China only fears strength and force. They are used to bullying all who will back down before them. They got used to Obama’s weakness. We have to stay in their face. Call their bluff every time.
Nothing New
Back in the 70’s we used to bounce into them (both ships flying the black ball which indicates a steering casualty)
We used to call it Fu*k Fu*k ... when we got alongside and were crashing into each other we would throw Playboy Magazines and Oranges and other stuff to the Russian Crew on deck (they really appreciated it)
We literally bounced broadside off each other for more than a short time.
First time I was part of that Party was the South China Sea, next was the North Arabian Sea ... same MO and we pretty much did the same thing.
(Those Russian Sailors were so jealous of us and we threw all the Girly mags and fresh Produce that we could assemble on short notice)
Met up with some Russian crew at a Bar in Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka)... we sneaked (cause I guess snuck aint a word) booze under the table to them all night while their “Political Officer” was being distracted by others and got them Drunk (some say it wasn’t possible as Russians can drink Coal Oil without effect... to them I say that crap that they serve as Beer in Ceylon/Sri Lanka is nastier and more potent than Coal Oil)
I only drank 2 beers (Lion Lager) that night and held my Head covering my ears for the next 36 hours hoping a dust flake would not impact the floor (worst hangover ever) so I KNOW that stuff is nasty. (When I told my Chief that I only drank 2 beers all he said was “Your a tough kid, an older man would have died”)
I know we fed them guys 6-8 bottles of that swill each and then 1/2 bottle of Whiskey with the Greek Sailors doing the Whiskey Dance.
No way to determine if they survived or not.