Less watchful eyes on the Black Sea

Yesterday evening, two US Navy Boeing P-8A aircraft arrived in Portsmouth, United States, after taking off in the morning from NAS Sigonella.

The two aircraft (registrations 168996 & 169554) are among the Poseidon units equipped with the AN/APS-154 radar.

The AN/APS-154 Advanced Airborne Sensor (AAS) is a high-tech radar system developed by Raytheon for the U.S. Navy, mounted on the P-8A Poseidon. Using AESA radar technology, it can detect, track, and image targets with extreme precision in real time, whether on land, at sea, or in the air. Its capabilities include synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for high-resolution imaging, moving target tracking (GMTI/MMTI), and resistance to electronic warfare (ECCM). Integrated into a larger intelligence-sharing network, the AAS enhances the P-8A’s role in surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting, making it a vital asset for modern warfare.

The two aircraft were regularly deployed on surveillance missions over the Black Sea theater, monitoring not only maritime activity but also developments on land and in Ukrainian airspace.

The decision to cease providing intelligence data to Ukraine, along with the intent to increase surveillance along the Mexican border, led the United States to recall these assets.

The absence of these aircraft and the intelligence they provided, as well as all the information that U.S. SIGINT assets can supply to Ukraine, will be felt on the battlefield, indirectly aiding the Russian aggressor in its campaign against Kyiv.

Today, AAS equipped P-8A Poseidons 168996 and 169554 were removed from their ISR duties at NAS Sigonella.

They are now in the US, at Portsmouth. They will then move to their bases to start their new mission of US Border ISR soon. #B1E7A1 #AE67A8 #AE57C1 #AE5F43 https://t.co/hhmjzVVi4i pic.twitter.com/oJ0QHyxHFZ

— 𝙎𝙍_𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 (@SR_Planespotter) March 8, 2025