Near-collision between U.S. and Russian warships in Pacific requires emergency maneuvers

6/7/19
 
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from The Washington Post,
6/7/19:

The U.S. Navy accused a Russian ship of “unsafe and unprofessional” conduct after an incident Friday in the Philippine Sea caused a near-collision between a Russian destroyer and the American guided missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville.

The Russian Pacific Fleet countered that it was the U.S. vessel that had engaged in dangerous maneuvering, forcing the Russian destroyer Admiral Vinogradov to take emergency action, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported.

According to Cmdr. Clay Doss of the U.S. 7th Fleet, the Chancellorsville was recovering its helicopter while maintaining a steady course when the Russian ship came from behind and “accelerated and closed to an unsafe distance” of about 50 to 100 feet.

“This unsafe action forced Chancellorsville to execute all engines back full and to maneuver to avoid collision,” Doss said in a statement. “We consider Russia’s actions during this interaction as unsafe and unprofessional.”

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