Intense US Navy P-8A missions north of Crete coinciding with the arrival of the USS Ford

In the last few hours, we have tracked two interesting missions conducted by two US Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidons, both taking off from NAS Sigonella in Sicily.

Here are the details of the flight paths:

• First mission: Took place yesterday evening (March 23).
• Second mission: Took place this morning (March 24).
• Area of operations: As seen on the map, both aircraft carried out several orbits in the southern Aegean Sea, operating north of the island of Crete.

The Context: Arrival at Souda Bay

A fundamental detail to frame these missions is that just yesterday, the American aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford arrived at the Souda Bay naval base (NSA Souda Bay) in Crete.

We do not have official confirmation that the two events are connected, but the timing and the area of operations make it very difficult to think otherwise.

Hypotheses on the Operations

The exact nature of these maritime patrol missions is unknown. However, considering the broader Mediterranean scenario, the presence of Russian naval (or submarine) units cannot be ruled out at all. It is a common dynamic for Moscow’s assets to shadow American aircraft carriers from a distance: it is therefore highly plausible that these Russian units are currently located right in the southern Aegean, and that the P-8As are providing a security and monitoring framework around the USS Ford Carrier Strike Group.