US surveillance missions over Black Sea

Today we can track two differents ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) missions over Black Sea:

• an USNavy Boeing P-8A ( 169332 ) departed from NAS Sigonella, Italy, this morning is making a surveillanec mission off Crimea flying around 15,000 ft;

• an USAF Boeing RC-135V (64-14846 ) departed from Souda BAy AB, Greece, is making a similar mission over Black Sea flying around 27,000 ft.

These are usual missions and USAF uses often also Northrop Grumman RQ-4Bs based in NAS Sigonella to make similar mission over Black Sea and over eastern Ukraine .

In Belbek Air Base near Sevastopol, Crimea Russian Air force based at least 20 Russia Air Force Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30 as you can see from this recent aerial view.

In the recent past Russian fighters have intercepted US aircraft flying in International airspace off Crimea.