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NATO Spy Planes and Bombers Expand From Arctic to Black Sea Amid Tensions With Russia
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Allied surveillance and refueling aircraft conducted multiple missions across Europe this week, operating near Russia and Ukraine as part of NATO’s ongoing monitoring and deterrence efforts, Defence Blog reported.
According to flight data and open-source tracking shared by OSINTdefender, several US and NATO aircraft were active across northern and eastern Europe, marking a period of heightened operational tempo. The missions involved maritime patrols, reconnaissance flights, and aerial refueling.
Very busy day today for the U.S. Air Force and NATO over Europe, with a Norwegian P-8A “Poseidon” Maritime Patrol and Surveillance Aircraft heading northeast for a patrol off Northern Russia, while a U.S. Air Force RC-135U “Combat Sent” Electronic Surveillance Aircraft and a NATO… pic.twitter.com/AP3x9Tr3vZ
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) November 12, 2025
A Norwegian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft was observed flying northeast toward the Barents Sea, close to northern Russia. At the same time, a US Air Force RC-135U “Combat Sent” electronic surveillance aircraft and a NATO E-3A “Sentry” Airborne Early Warning and Control plane were carrying out patrols near Eastern Europe.
In support of these operations, two US Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers refueled a pair of B-52H “Stratofortress” bombers over the North Sea before their route shifted toward Finland.
Additional activity included French Airbus A330 MRTT tankers departing from Istres-Le Tubé Air Base in southern France and proceeding east toward Romania, Defence Blog noted.
The coordinated flights, visible on FlightRadar24, represent routine NATO operations but also reflect sustained readiness amid ongoing instability along Europe’s borders.
The report added that such missions combine intelligence collection with visible demonstrations of allied presence across the continent’s northern and eastern flanks.
Earlier, UK Defense Secretary John Healey declared during a visit to RAF Lossiemouth that British forces are “hunting” Russian submarines, citing a 30% rise in Russian naval activity near UK waters. According to BBC News, the UK and Germany are expanding joint anti-submarine efforts using P-8 Poseidon aircraft and enhanced maritime surveillance.
