As you may be aware, the Aegis Combat System is a combined computer and radar system used for the guidance of weapons on board several different classes of U. S. naval vessels as well as those of several other countries, e.g. Japan, Spain, Norway. There’s an interesting but unverified report coming from Russian Radio that casts a dramatically different light on the recent incident in which a Russian jet buzzed a U. S. naval vessel in the Black Sea:
Russian Sukhoi Su -24 with the newest jamming complex paralyzed in the Black Sea the most modern American combat management system “Aegis” installed on the destroyer “USS Donald Cook”. Pavel Zolotarev, Deputy Director, Institute of USA and Canada, shares details about this version which is being actively discussed in the Russian media and by bloggers.
US destroyer “Donald Cook” with cruise missiles “Tomahawk” entered the neutral waters of the Black Sea on April 10. The purpose was a demonstration of force and intimidation in connection with the position of Russia in Ukraine and Crimea. The appearance of American warships in these waters is in contradiction of the Montreux Convention about the nature and duration of stay in the Black Sea by the military ships of countries not washed by this sea.
In response, Russia sent an unarmed bomber Su- 24 to fly around the U.S. destroyer. However, experts say that this plane was equipped with the latest Russian electronic warfare complex. According to this version, “Aegis” spotted from afar the approaching aircraft, and sounded alarm. Everything went normally, American radars calculated the speed of the approaching target. And suddenly all the screens went blank. “Aegis” was not working any more, and the rockets could not get target information. Meanwhile, Su-24 flew over the deck of the destroyer, did battle turn and simulated missile attack on the target. Then it turned and repeated the maneuver. And did so 12 times.
In other words rather than being just another random but provocative incident, it was a successful test and missile guidance on the U. S. vessel was shut down.
I don’t generally deal in rumors but this one is sufficiently interesting that I thought I’d pass it along as that—a rumor.
I can think of several possibilities:
- The story is a fabrication, full stop.
- The story is disinformation being spread by the Russian government, presumably to encourage the Russian people and those who sympathize with them in Ukraine and elsewhere.
- The story is the truth. If so, I imagine there have been some sleepless nights lately at the Pentagon.
