In the map above, we’ve compiled the flight paths of all flights conducted by the US Army Bombardier CL.60 “Artemis” (reg. N488CR – c/s BRIO68) from the beginning of the year until now.
There have been a total of eight flights (January 1st, 13th, 22nd, and February 1st, 10th, 18th, 23rd, 27th) conducted over Bosnia (2, the latest today) and western Romania near the border with Serbia.
These are SIGINT flights (SIGnals INTelligence), which involve collecting information by intercepting and analyzing signals, whether they are between people (such as radio communications) or machines (as in the case of ELINT, electronic signals intelligence), or a combination of both. Since many classified communications are encrypted, SIGINT operations often involve cryptanalysis tools. The Bombardier Artemis, operated by the American private military company Leidos, is equipped with sensors to carry out these types of missions.
Previously, we’ve seen it engaged in missions related to the war in Ukraine (almost daily) or the situation in Libya, but never before have we seen it so actively involved in processing data in the heart of Europe. The situation in Bosnia appears (apparently) calm, but in reality, tensions are numerous, as are tensions between Serbia and Kosovo.
These missions likely align with the need to acquire information regarding potential military developments in the region, knowing that this area of the Balkans remains consistently highly tense.