The US Navy needs to adopt a combat mindset now...the Cold War is back and the Russians/Chinese are playing hard!

BREAKING: #USNavy has released video of #USSChancellorsville being forced to maneuver to avoid collision, after #Russian destroyer Udaloy I made an unsafe and unprofessional approach in the Phillippine Sea, June 7th. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/HpmAMtYraS

— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) June 7, 2019

BREAKING: While recovering its helicopter #USSChancellorsville was forced to
execute all engines back full to avoid collision with #Russian destroyer
Udaloy I, which had come from behind and alongside within 50-100 feet in the
Phillippine Sea. (2/2)https://t.co/rIaL3TONo6

— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) June 7, 2019

I warned about this. 

After 2 years of calling the Russians a hostile power they're finally going all on being such an actor. The buzzing of aircraft/ships in the Black Sea could be seen as a defensive move on their part.  We were in their area and they wanted to let us know it was not appreciated (that's how I read things). 

But now?

This activity in the Pacific?

A marker is being thrown down.  They're coming after us...and since we've been dancing around them in Europe its to be expected (again...that's my take).

Now?

Now they're after us in the Pacific and the Chinese are playing too.  Is this coordinated?  I don't know.

What I do know is that the US Navy better get their combat mindset established fleet wide.  Policy makers in DC have set the stage for big power competition and instead of just one foe we're facing two.

I don't think we have a Navy sized to address the needs of the nation.  I also believe that what we're seeing is the vulnerability of independent ship operations (an amphib would be in trouble in this circumstance) and a total rethink of concepts needs to happen now, not in the future.

We're seeing a weird mixture of things.  We're taking COIN concepts and trying to scale it to big power competition.  I don't think its gonna work.