Londonrake wrote:There was an agreed convention, which stood throughout the Cold War years. Aircraft would undertake 3 ship passes, usually photographic runs. I can’t recall the proximity limits but they were well defined, safe distances. Normally you would fly low past one side, turn back and down the other. Finally you gained height (hundreds of feet) and flew directly over the top, bow to stern. That was it. Wave goodbye (often they did). There were also very strict criteria relating to aircraft interceptions. Followed generally by both sides.
Under Putin this seems to have been abandoned and Russian aircraft “buzzing” ships, as close as tens of feet, carrying out extensive mock attacks appears to have become the norm.
So, gone, like another long-standing mutual convention. People involved in formal spy exchanges are left to get on with their lives (another thread). YES .... so says the UK although they have yet to explain why they would believe that to have changed.
That was then ( up to 1991) and with the defunct USSR ..... this is now and with a resurgent Russian Federation.
Then .... there was a Warsaw pact that then disbanded on the then US Presidential assurance that NATO would not move 1cm toward the East if you remember? So I think many promises and assurances fell by the wayside. Lesson learned ..... you can't take US assurances for granted.
