I wonder what the rules are on defense from an air attack. Do they have to actually attack? Is there a limit as to how close they can come?
I believe that our aircraft respond when queried on the appropriate channels, because, hey, that’s generally how we operate.
Of course, I don’t want to rule out stupidity and incompetence on the part of the Russians, but it seems equally likely as provocation.
After about the second flyby, the appropriate response would have been to blow it out of the sky.
I think Putin would have understood that.