Russian fighter jets intercepted a US P-8 Poseidon aircraft equipped with a secret radar over the Black Sea.
Footage of the interception was published in the Russian Telegram group Fighterbomber, which is linked with the Russian Air Force.
The US Navy aircraft was flying unescorted, although reconnaissance aircraft are usually accompanied by several NATO fighter jets.
In peacetime, “interception of an aircraft” means that fighter jets approach another aircraft for inspection and escort.
Fighterbomber has noted that though US aircraft conduct reconnaissance over the Black Sea almost daily, they are not always “intercepted” by Russian fighter jets.
This time, the P-8 Poseidon flew with an AN/APS-149 Littoral Surveillance Radar System side-looking radar station suspended beneath it.
Developed by Raytheon, the system is designed for long-range detection of surface and land targets in coastal areas, as well as for monitoring sea and land routes.This station is included in the Pentagon’s list of top-secret programs.
Its range is officially classified, but is estimated to be hundreds of kilometers for both maritime and land targets.
Initially, this radar was installed on modified P-3C aircraft, and later it was integrated into the Boeing P-8A Poseidon under the name AN/APS-154.
When the US sends such aircraft to the Black Sea, it pursues several goals at once:
- monitoring the Russian fleet;
- controlling the Russian Federation’s missile activity;
- providing Ukraine with intelligence data;
- demonstrating NATO’s presence.
In addition, reconnaissance flights over the Black Sea are periodically carried out by the French Air and Space Force.
