US Poseidon intercepted over the Black Sea

Yesterday we tracked a US Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidon that took off from NAS Sigonella and conducted a SIGINT mission over the eastern Black Sea.

Such missions have become increasingly frequent, with surveillance activity now focusing mainly off Novorossiysk, which has become the Russian Navy’s primary base in the Black Sea.

However, a very interesting video has surfaced, published by several Russian Telegram channels, showing the American aircraft being intercepted by a Russian fighter.

The video is dated August 27, though no exact time is provided. By analyzing the footage, the Poseidon appears to be flying westbound, meaning the interception likely occurred somewhere between Novorossiysk and southern Crimea.

The footage is particularly notable because, for the first time, it shows a Poseidon flying with the AN/APS-154 Advanced Airborne Sensor, a multifunctional AESA radar designed to provide wide-area maritime and overland surveillance, capable of tracking moving targets and detecting small vessels even in challenging environments.

The US aircraft involved is registration 165554, which has been previously photographed carrying the AN/APS-154 radar.

The Russian fighter that intercepted the Poseidon cannot be identified from the video (it is possible that it was a Su-30 type). No statements have been issued by the US side.

The interception took place in international airspace.