Key Points
- NATO conducted surveillance flights over the Black Sea using a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon and a UK Royal Air Force RC-135W Rivet Joint operating in international airspace near Crimea.
- The operation supported monitoring of Russian military activity along the Black Sea coast and NATO’s eastern flank.
NATO conducted coordinated aerial surveillance flights over the Black Sea near the coast of Crimea and Russia’s Krasnodar region on January 28, with U.S. and British reconnaissance aircraft operating in international airspace, according to open flight-tracking data and publicly available monitoring imagery.
The activity involved a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and a Royal Air Force RC-135W Rivet Joint signals intelligence aircraft, both of which were observed flying extended reconnaissance patterns over the central and eastern Black Sea. The aircraft operated outside Russian airspace while collecting data near occupied Crimea and Russia’s southern coastline.
Flight tracking data shows the U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon conducting a wide-area patrol mission at an altitude of about 31,000 feet, while the British RC-135W Rivet Joint flew parallel tracks further west before entering the same operational zone. The aircraft followed repeated racetrack patterns consistent with maritime surveillance and electronic intelligence collection missions.
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The reconnaissance flights took place amid continued military activity in the Black Sea region, where NATO closely monitors Russian naval movements, air operations, and missile-capable platforms operating from bases in Crimea and southern Russia. Both aircraft types are routinely used to track surface vessels, submarines, and air defense emissions, as well as to map radar activity along contested coastlines.
According to NATO procedures, such flights are conducted in international airspace and are compliant with international aviation law. The alliance regularly deploys surveillance aircraft to the Black Sea to maintain situational awareness following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the continued militarization of Crimea.
The P-8A Poseidon is the U.S. Navy’s primary maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, equipped with advanced radar, electro-optical sensors, acoustic systems, and data links for real-time information sharing. In the Black Sea region, the aircraft is commonly used to monitor Russian naval movements, including surface combatants and submarines operating from Sevastopol and Novorossiysk.
The RC-135W Rivet Joint, operated by the Royal Air Force, is a dedicated signals intelligence platform designed to collect and analyze electronic emissions from radar systems, air defense networks, and military communications. Its presence alongside the P-8A indicates a coordinated intelligence mission combining maritime and electronic surveillance.
British and U.S. aircraft have increased the frequency of joint reconnaissance operations in the Black Sea since 2022, often flying complementary routes to provide a broader intelligence picture. These missions are closely watched by Russian air defense forces and are sometimes shadowed by Russian fighter jets, although no interception was reported during this operation.
The flights were visible on civilian flight-tracking platforms due to the aircraft operating with transponders active, a practice NATO uses during routine patrols to demonstrate transparency and adherence to international rules while maintaining surveillance coverage.
