US Reconnaissance Aircraft Patrols Over Black Sea
According to data from Flightradar24, a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane conducted a patrol mission over the Black Sea on Monday. The Boeing RC-135U Combat Sent departed from the Royal Air Force base in Mildenhall, United Kingdom, passing over the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania.
After reaching the Black Sea region, the aircraft flew near the Crimean Peninsula before returning to its base. The RC-135U Combat Sent is a specialized electronic intelligence aircraft operated by the United States, designed to collect and analyze radar signals and other forms of electronic emissions from foreign military systems.
Its mission supports U.S. and NATO efforts in intelligence gathering and in the development of electronic countermeasures.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the number of U.S. and NATO surveillance flights over the Black Sea has significantly increased. Missions involving RC-135, RQ-4 Global Hawk, and P-8A Poseidon aircraft are regularly carried out to monitor Russian military movements around Crimea and the wider region.
Moscow often criticizes these operations as provocative, though they are conducted in international airspace.
Despite objections from Russia, such reconnaissance missions remain an essential part of Western intelligence activity along NATO’s eastern border.
Author’s Summary
U.S. reconnaissance flights over the Black Sea continue as vital intelligence missions near Crimea, reflecting heightened surveillance since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.