Editing USS Donald Cook (section)

===2010s===
[[File:USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) in Batumi in 2021.jpg|thumb|''Donald Cook'' in [[Batumi, Georgia]], February 2021.]]
On 24 February 2012, ''Donald Cook'' was awarded the 2011 [[Navy E Ribbon|Battle Efficiency "E" award]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/Pages/NavalSurfaceForcesAnnounces2011BattleEAwardees.aspx#.UYkno8o5r9V |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120312071627/http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/Pages/NavalSurfaceForcesAnnounces2011BattleEAwardees.aspx#.UYkno8o5r9V |url-status= dead |archive-date= 12 March 2012 |title= Naval Surface Forces Announces 2011 Battle E Awardees |publisher= [[United States Navy]] |last=Garcia |first=Rosalie |date= 1 March 2012 }}</ref> On 9 April 2014, U.S. military officials confirmed the deployment of ''Donald Cook'' to the [[Black Sea]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/08/politics/us-navy-ship-ukraine/index.html?hpt=hp_t1|title=U.S. Navy ship to arrive in Black Sea by Thursday|first=Barbara |last=Starr|date=9 April 2014|publisher=CNN}}</ref> shortly after [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|Russia's annexation of Crimea]] and amid the [[2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine|pro-Russian unrest]] in [[Ukraine]]. The U.S. Department of Defense's official statement said that the vessel's mission was "to reassure NATO allies and Black Sea partners of America’s commitment to strengthen and improve interoperability, while working towards mutual goals in the region".<ref>{{cite news|last1= Marshall |first1= Tyrone C. |title=USS Donald Cook Heads for Reassurance Mission in Black Sea|url=http://archive.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=122023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926054202/http://archive.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=122023 |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 September 2015 |access-date=15 December 2015|agency=American Forces Press Service|date=9 April 2014}}</ref> On 10 April 2014, the warship was reported to have entered the Black Sea.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}} On 12 April 2014, an unarmed Russian [[Su-24]] "Fencer" strike aircraft made 12 close-range passes of ''Donald Cook'' during a patrol of the western Black Sea.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ryan|first1=Missy|title=Russian jet's passes near U.S. ship in Black Sea 'provocative' -Pentagon|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-russia-blacksea-idUSL2N0N60V520140414#TmlqFb14qYOCTCUy.97|access-date=20 November 2015|work=Reuters|date=14 April 2014}}</ref><ref name="Mulrine">{{cite news |url= http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Security-Watch/2014/0415/Russian-aircraft-buzz-US-Navy-destroyer-How-big-a-deal |title= Russian aircraft buzz US Navy destroyer: How big a deal? |first= Anna |last= Mulrine |newspaper= [[The Christian Science Monitor]]|date= 15 April 2014 }}</ref> According to an allegation by a Pentagon spokesman, "The aircraft did not respond to multiple queries and warnings from ''Donald Cook'', and the event ended without incident after approximately 90 minutes." Further, ''Donald Cook'' is more than capable of defending herself against a pair of Su-24s.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Garamone|first1=Jim|title=Russian Aircraft Flies Near U.S. Navy Ship in Black Sea|url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=80360|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140417021658/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=80360|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 April 2014|access-date=20 November 2015|agency=American Forces Press Service|date=14 April 2014}}</ref> In 2014, Russia's [[state media|state-run]] news-media outlets ran a series of reports that falsely asserted that during that incident, the Su-24, equipped with the [[Khibiny (electronic countermeasures system)|Khibiny]] [[electronic countermeasures|electronic warfare]] system, had disabled the ship's [[Aegis combat system]]s. The misinformation was later picked up by British tabloid ''[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]]'' and by [[Fox News]], and later reported as Russian propaganda by ''[[The New York Times]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/07/world/europe/anatomy-of-fake-news-russian-propaganda.html|title=How Russian Propaganda Spread From a Parody Website to Fox News|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=7 June 2017|first1=Neil|last1=MacFarQuhar|first2=Andrew|last2=Rossback}}</ref>

On 14 April 2014, ''Donald Cook'' visited [[Constanta, Romania]], where President [[Traian Băsescu]] had a tour of the ship. ''Donald Cook'' then conducted various exercises in concert with the [[Romanian Naval Forces|Romanian Navy]] before departing the Black Sea on 24 April 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://cne-cna-c6f.dodlive.mil/uss-donald-cook-departs-black-sea/ |title= USS Donald Cook Departs Black Sea |website= cne-cna-c6f.dodlive.mil |date= 24 April 2014 |access-date= 21 March 2015 |archive-date= 3 April 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150403033335/http://cne-cna-c6f.dodlive.mil/uss-donald-cook-departs-black-sea/ |url-status= dead }}</ref> On 26 December 2014, for the second time, according to the U.S. Navy, the destroyer entered the Black Sea to reassure and demonstrate U.S. commitment to work closely with NATO allies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine-abroad/us-naval-forces-europe-africaus-6th-fleet-uss-donald-cook-to-enter-black-sea-376189.html|title=US Naval Forces Europe – Africa/US 6th fleet: USS Donald Cook to enter Black Sea |work=KyivPost |date=26 December 2014}}</ref> ''Donald Cook'' participated in exercises with the [[Turkish Navy]], including an [[underway replenishment]] and other exercises with the {{sclass|Yavuz|frigate}} TCG ''Fatih'' on 28 December 2014. The ship visited Constanta, Romania, on 30 December and [[Varna, Bulgaria]], on 8 January 2015. She also participated in exercises with [[Ukrainian Navy]] ship {{ship|Ukrainian frigate|Hetman Sahaydachniy|U130|2}} on 11 January 2015, and then departed the Black Sea on 14 January 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://cne-cna-c6f.dodlive.mil/uss-donald-cook-departs-black-sea-2/ |title= USS Donald Cook Departs Black Sea |website= cne-cna-c6f.dodlive.mil |first= Daniel |last= Schumacher |date= 14 January 2015 |access-date= 21 March 2015 |archive-date= 19 May 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150519064231/http://cne-cna-c6f.dodlive.mil/uss-donald-cook-departs-black-sea-2/ |url-status= dead }}</ref>

[[File:A Russian Sukhoi Su-24 makes a very-low altitude pass by the USS Donald Cook (DDG 75).jpg|thumb|right|A Russian [[Sukhoi Su-24]] attack aircraft makes a very-low-altitude pass by USS ''Donald Cook'' on 12 April 2016.]]
[[File:USS Donald Cook Russian Fly-By DOD 103206879.webm|thumb|right|Video released by the US Navy of the encounter with the [[Sukhoi Su-24]]]]
On 11 and 12 April 2016, two Russian Su-24s performed several low-altitude passes on ''Donald Cook'' while the ship was conducting exercises with a Polish helicopter in international waters in the Baltic Sea, {{convert|70|nmi}} off [[Kaliningrad]]. A Russian [[Kamov Ka-27|Ka-27 "Helix"]] antisubmarine helicopter also circled the destroyer seven times. The U.S. Navy released photos and videos of the incident on 14 April, and the U.S. government lodged a complaint with the Russian government.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Vincent|first1=Michael|title=Russian jets conduct 'aggressive' passes of US warship in Baltic Sea, defence official says|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-14/russia-jets-make-simulated-attack-passes-near-us-destroyer/7324994|access-date=14 April 2016|work=ABC News|date=14 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=United States European Command|title=US Navy Ship Encounters Aggressive Russian Aircraft in Baltic Sea|url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=94170|archive-url=https://archive.today/20160414054409/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=94170|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 April 2016|publisher=United States Navy|access-date=14 April 2016}}</ref> In response to the U.S. Secretary of State commenting on the incident and saying that "under the rules of engagement, that could have been a shoot-down",<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36050689|title=Kerry: Shooting down Russia jets 'would have been justified'|work=BBC News |date=14 April 2016|access-date=18 February 2017|via=bbc.com}}</ref> the [[Federation Council (Russia)|Russian Federation Council]]'s official [[Igor Morozov (politician)|Igor Morozov]] said that the U.S. likewise "ought to know that ''Donald Cook'' approached our borders and may already be unable to depart those."{{cn|date=May 2023}} On 26 February 2019, the ship hosted U.S. diplomats [[Gordon Sondland]], [[Marie Yovanovitch]], [[Kurt Volker]], the EU's Jean Christophe-Belliard, and Ukrainian President [[Petro Poroshenko]], among others.<ref name="game_">{{Cite web
| title = Opening Statement before the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
| author = Gordon Sondland
| access-date = 17 October 2019
| url = https://games-cdn.washingtonpost.com/notes/prod/default/documents/8397891d-d1bf-4a05-93e0-795f6d1b7048/note/5cd6785f-4de2-42d4-937d-39224c08bc2d.pdf#page=1
}}</ref>