MAGMA Reappears (On a Mission to Libya?)

In the early hours of today, tracking systems recorded the activity of a strategic Atlantic Alliance asset taking off from Sigonella Air Base in Sicily.

This is a NATO Northrop Grumman RQ-4D “Phoenix” drone (registration MM-AV-SA0015), operating under the usual radio callsign MAGMA10. The aircraft, belonging to the AGS (Alliance Ground Surveillance) fleet, left the Sicilian coast heading southeast towards the Ionian Sea.

As can be seen from the image, once it reached the Central Mediterranean, the drone turned off its transponder. The last plot on tracking sites was in fact recorded at 02:03 UTC, while the aircraft was in international airspace east of Malta.

Switching off ADS-B equipment and the subsequent disappearance from platforms like Flightradar24 is an absolutely normal practice for this type of mission. Often, once the initial transit phase is over or when approaching their operational area, military aircraft go “dark” for operational security reasons (OPSEC).

In all likelihood, the final destination of today’s mission is Libya. The RQ-4D drones stationed at Sigonella regularly conduct long-range intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions in support of NATO, operating not only over North Africa but also over the Eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea, or along the Alliance’s eastern borders.

The mission is still (19:28 CET) in progress.