Central/Eastern Mediterranean sea mission for an Italian CAEW

This morning at 11:30 CEST, an Italian Air Force Gulfstream E.550 CAEW (reg. MM62303) has departed from Pratica di Mare AB heading southeast.

Upon reaching the southern Tyrrhenian Sea the aircraft has switched off the ADS-B transnsponder and it has disappeared from the various tracking sites.

At 18.27 hrs the aircraft has reappeared east of Calabria while it was returning towards Pratica di Mare.

The aircraft then completed a 6-hour flight without being tracked.

The aircraft has carried out probably a surveillance mission over the central or eastern Mediterranean. These are areas that are currently heavily monitored by NATO assets due to the presence of naval and also air units of the Russian Navy.