A friend in the Navy while Carter was President said that Syrian planes would regularly break the sound barrier while passing between and below the tops of the ship’s masts. Glass broke, sailors got broken ear drums. He said the moment Reagan became president the close passes stopped.
The problem here is the perceived weakness of the President. To the world, the US military must look like a pro-wrestler body with five o’clock shadow but wearing lipstick, high heels and a long, blond wig.
Gen.Blather, I was in the navy during that time, over in that part of the world (Med deployments on a carrier) and never saw anything like that, ever. I don't buy it. Perhaps on some smaller unattached ships that was possible, but I think we would have gotten wind of it.
There were always incidents regarding surface ships and subs bumping into each other, etc, but not activity like this that I ever saw. I never saw anything even remotely resembling that kind of activity from the air arm of any country.
Supersonic fly-bys between the masts below mast level would not have been tolerated, even during the pathetic Carter administration, IMO. That behavior would have been regarded as a severe hazard to any vessel, and would likely have been addressed.
All that said, I cannot disagree with your observation that the perception of the US Military may be degraded, and that is a bad thing.
Nothing invites aggression so much as a perception of weakness.