NATO RQ-4D Phoenix surveillance drone resumes Black Sea mission

A NATO Northrop Grumman RQ-4D Phoenix strategic surveillance drone has been detected flying over the international waters of the Black Sea for the first time since late April, according to a source in European Union air traffic control services cited by Russia's TASS news agency.

The source said the drone took off from the Sigonella Air Base in Sicily and was observed flying from west to east over the southern part of the Black Sea while remaining in international airspace.

According to the report, the Italian Air Force-operated aircraft was flying at an altitude of more than 15 kilometres, without entering the airspace of any country and outside designated civilian aviation corridors.

The source also said the drone was accompanied along parts of its route by a Swedish Saab 340B ISR intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft.

The reported flight path closely resembles the regular route used by the NATO-operated Bombardier Challenger 650 Artemis II reconnaissance aircraft, which is frequently seen conducting surveillance missions over the Black Sea from its base in Constanța, Romania. However, the source noted that no flights by the Artemis II aircraft have been recorded in the past three days.

According to the source, one of the RQ-4D Phoenix's primary roles is to collect high-resolution imagery across large areas and transmit intelligence data in real time.

By Sabina Mammadli