USAF RQ-4B Global Hawk back over the Black Sea

After several days of reduced activity, a U.S. Air Force RQ-4B “Global Hawk” (callsign FORTE10, registration 09-2039) has returned today for a long surveillance mission over the Black Sea.

The high-altitude, long-endurance drone took off early this morning from NAS Sigonella (Sicily) and followed its usual route across the central Mediterranean, mainland Greece, and Bulgaria before reaching its operational area over international waters south of Crimea.

Once on station, the Global Hawk performed multiple orbits for several hours — a typical ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) pattern aimed at monitoring Russian military activity in the region, including naval and air operations.

The mission comes amid continued NATO surveillance efforts in the area, with U.S. and allied assets maintaining constant situational awareness along the alliance’s eastern flank.

The RQ-4B Global Hawk is one of the most advanced reconnaissance platforms in the world, capable of flying at altitudes above 50,000 feet for more than 30 hours and covering thousands of kilometers without refueling.

Such flights have become routine since 2014, but their frequency often reflects the evolving situation in the region — especially in connection with tensions involving Ukraine and Russian deployments along the Black Sea coast.