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Rare Footage Shows US Poseidon’s Secret Radar During Black Sea Intercept by Russian Fighter
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
![Photo of Tetiana Frolova]( "Photo of Tetiana Frolova")
A Russian Su-35 fighter intercepted a US Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft over the Black Sea on August 27, releasing footage that revealed one of the Navy’s most classified reconnaissance systems in operation.
According to video published on the Russian Telegram channel Fighterbomber, the Poseidon was equipped with the AN/APS-154 Advanced Airborne Sensor (AAS), a next-generation radar pod developed by Raytheon.
The system, mounted under the fuselage using a deployable mechanism, extends away from the engines to maximize coverage. Aviation Week first reported details of this mechanism in 2019.
Russia releases footage of a US Navy P-8 Poseidon intercepted over the Black Sea—revealing for the first time its secret AN/APS-154 radar sensor. pic.twitter.com/x5GJQyEOj6
— Ivan Khomenko (@KhomenkoIv60065) August 28, 2025
The AN/APS-154 employs an active electronically scanned array radar, capable of synthetic aperture imaging, ground moving target indication, and maritime surveillance.
It is designed to monitor both coastal waters and land areas simultaneously, a capability that conventional radars often lack. The sensor is a successor to the AN/APS-149 Littoral Surveillance Radar System previously used on modified P-3C Orion aircraft.
The Poseidon’s four-hour mission began at Naval Air Station Sigonella in Sicily and followed a track between Varna, Bulgaria, and Sochi, Russia, while remaining outside Russian airspace.
The sortie reflects the growing intensity of NATO reconnaissance flights near Crimea, where patrols have become routine since Russia’s annexation of the peninsula in 2014 and the escalation of the war in Ukraine.
The P-8A Poseidon is the Navy’s primary maritime patrol aircraft, combining anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance roles.
With the APS-154 sensor, it gains capabilities similar to those of dedicated electronic intelligence platforms, enabling detection of naval maneuvers, coastal infrastructure, missile deployments, and fast-moving vessels.
Earlier, on June 5, two RAF Typhoon fighters were scrambled from Poland to intercept a Russian An-30 reconnaissance plane and an Il-20M electronic intelligence aircraft flying out of Kaliningrad. The operation, conducted under NATO’s Enhanced Air Policing mission, reflected Moscow’s intensified surveillance activity along the alliance’s eastern flank.
