US Reconnaissance Aircraft Patrols over the Black Sea
On Monday, a US Air Force reconnaissance aircraft carried out a patrol mission over the Black Sea, according to flight data from Flightradar24. The Boeing RC-135U Combat Sent departed from the Royal Air Force base in Mildenhall, United Kingdom. Its route took it over the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania before entering Black Sea airspace near the Crimean Peninsula, then returning to base.
Boeing RC-135U Combat Sent Mission
The RC-135U Combat Sent is a specialized electronic reconnaissance aircraft used by the United States. Its main role is to gather and analyze radar signals and other electronic emissions from foreign military systems, providing crucial intelligence support for U.S. and NATO countermeasure development.
Increased Surveillance since 2022
Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, U.S. and NATO surveillance flights over the Black Sea have increased. Aircraft such as the RC-135, RQ-4 Global Hawk, and P-8A Poseidon frequently monitor Russian military activity in Crimea and the broader Black Sea region.
Moscow often condemns these surveillance flights as provocative, despite them taking place in international airspace.
Nevertheless, these patrols remain a vital component of Western intelligence operations along NATO’s eastern borders.
Summary
The US continues strategic reconnaissance over the Black Sea to monitor Russian military actions, underscoring the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region.