Thanks to official images and videos, as we as data from flight tracking websites, it was possible to determine the composition of this mission:<\/p>\n
- \n
- At least one (more likely two) FASF Rafale C;<\/li>\n
- One FASF E-3F Sentry AWACS (Airborne Early Warning and Control System);<\/li>\n
- Two FASF A330 MRTT tankers;<\/li>\n
- Two FN Rafale Ms;<\/li>\n
- One FN E-2C Hawkeye AEW&C aircraft;<\/li>\n
- Two RAF Typhoon FGR4s;<\/li>\n
- One RAF RC-135W Rivet Joint;<\/li>\n
- One RAF Voyager KC3 tanker.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The French Joint Staff<\/a> called this operation as \u201csurveillance of a strategic area for the security of the continent,\u201d with the goals to \u201cguarantee freedom of navigation and access to shared spaces,\u201d most likely referring to international airspace and waters, as well as \u201cmaintain security and prevent any threat.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\")
<\/a>A French E-3F AWACS receives fuel from an A330 MRTT tanker. (Image credit: French Joint Staff on X)<\/p>\nThe U.K.\u2019s Permanent Joint Headquarters<\/a> similarly said the two services \u201cworked seamlessly on a surveillance mission in Eastern Europe.\u201d It further added that \u201cair activity like this is crucial for European security, and testing our ability to work with NATO allies.\u201d The Russian MoD did not release any statement regarding this joint mission.<\/p>\n
\n
\ud83d\udd0eAlways watching!\u2708\ufe0f<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udccdBlack Sea<\/p>\n
Today, @RoyalAirForce<\/a> and @Armee_de_lair<\/a> Aircraft, worked seamlessly together on a surveillance mission in Eastern Europe.\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7<\/p>\n
Air activity like this is crucial for European security, and testing our ability to work with @NATO<\/a> allies.\ud83c\udf0d pic.twitter.com\/jpBrzYBKJX<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Defence Operations \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 (@DefenceOps) April 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Interestingly, the operation follows an Apr. 10 joint declaration<\/a> by Britain and France vowing to continue working on a \u201cmultinational effort to support Ukraine\u2019s transition to peacetime from a position of strength.\u201d The goal is to \u201creassure, support, and protect Ukraine to ensure that any peace settlement safeguards against the risk of future Russian aggression.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur work today builds on the detailed military planning conducted by the French and British Chiefs of Staff last month, which is supported by hundreds of military planners across Europe and beyond, and directly supports the ambitions outlined by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Macron at recent international summits,\u201d the statement said. \u201cWe are carrying out this work together, side by side, to ensure the best possible outcome for Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n
\ud83d\udccdMer Noire | Coop\u00e9ration \ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7<\/p>\n
Surveillance d\u2019une zone strat\u00e9gique pour la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 du continent avec un dispositif a\u00e9rien complet.<\/p>\n
\u27a1\ufe0f Garantir la libert\u00e9 de navigation et l\u2019acc\u00e8s aux espaces partag\u00e9s.<\/p>\n
\u27a1\ufe0f Pr\u00e9server la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 et de pr\u00e9venir toute menace. https:\/\/t.co\/d4risgdCtf<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Bwtyc1G2qM<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Arm\u00e9e fran\u00e7aise \u2013 Op\u00e9rations militaires (@EtatMajorFR) April 12, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Aircraft routes<\/strong><\/p>\n
While the RAF Typhoon FGR4s<\/a> and the Voyager KC3 (British designation for the Airbus A330 MRTT) departed from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, where they are forward deployed, the RC-135W Rivet Joint departed from its home station at RAF Waddington.<\/p>\n
The FASF A330 MRTT refueler\u2019s and the E-3F Sentry\u2019s points of origin is not confirmed, but it is likely they departed from their home stations at Istres-Le Tub\u00e9 Air Base and Avord Air Base, respectively. As for the Rafale, a photo released shows a Rafale C of the Escadron de Chasse 3\/30 Lorraine at Escadron de Chasse 3\/30 Lorraine, although it is unclear if this is a file photo.<\/p>\n
\n
Spicy RAF recon over the Black Sea.<\/p>\n
RRR7211 is RC-135W Rivet Joint SIGINT ZZ665 #43C39C
FANG0011 is Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 ZK425 #43C7A2
FANG0012 is Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 ZK428 #43C7A5<\/p>\n[image or embed]<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Evergreen Intel (@vcdgf555.bsky.social<\/a>) 11 aprile 2025 alle ore 15:15<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
French Navy Rafale Ms<\/a> and the E-2C Hawkeye<\/a> were also launched from the FNS Charles De Gaulle.<\/p>\n
Flight tracks shared on X by \u2018OSINTtechnical\u2019<\/a> and the U.K\u2019s Joint Headquarters show that most of the aircraft only limited themselves to the south-central and western part of the Black Sea, not venturing eastwards. Except for the two RAF Typhoons (callsign \u2018FANG0011\u2019 and \u2018FANG12\u2019) and the Voyager KC3 (callsign RRR9944), which flew in a northerly direction from Akrotiri, the FASF A330 (callsign \u2018FAF4093\u2019) and the RAF RC-135W (callsign \u2018RRR7211\u2019) entered the operational area from Romanian airspace. The E-3F Sentry does not figure in the tracks.<\/p>\n
The RAF Voyager flew over Turkey, skirting the Bulgarian and southern Romanian coastline, and circling over southeastern Romania, where it could have conducted aerial refueling in support of the Typhoons. The track doesn\u2019t show it entering the skies over the Black Sea. The FASF A330 MRTT meanwhile flew over southern Romania and circled above the Black Sea\u2019s waters outside northeastern Bulgaria.<\/p>\n
\n
Available ADS-B traffic via @flightradar24<\/a><\/p>\n
FAF4093- French KC3 tanker
RRR9954- British KC3 tanker
RRR7211- British RC-135
FANG11 and FANG12- British Typhoon escortshttps:\/\/t.co\/mEUK68fazl<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/ynShkLNRJF<\/a><\/p>\n\u2014 OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 12, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The RC-135W flew a north to south track over the western Black Sea, alongside Romania\u2019s coasts, continuing further east over the Black Sea, inverting the route once directly south of Sevastopol in Crimea, still in international airspace over the central part of the water body. The Typhoons followed the same route, escorting the SIGINT aircraft.<\/p>\n
Expert flight tracker \u2018itamilradar\u2019<\/a> also perused live flight tracks, showing two French A330 MRTT tankers (the other bearing the callsign \u2018FAF4092\u2019) over eastern Romania.<\/p>\n
The tracks observed do not include the French Navy Rafale Ms and E-2C Hawkeyes, as well as the FASF E-3F Sentry, so it is not possible to determine in which area they conducted the patrol.<\/p>\n
Interestingly a month prior, on Mar. 11, reports by Kyiv Post<\/a> and \u2018MilitaryNewsUA\u2019<\/a> showed flight tracking data of the two ASF Rafales (callsigns FAF4220 and FAF4221) flying further east crossing the central Black Sea. The Rafale came \u201cwithin 170 km\u201d of Novorossiysk in Russia\u2019s Krasnodar region, \u201cbefore reversing course to Bulgaria.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/a>Flight tracks of the various aircraft operating over the Black Sea on Apr. 11, 2025. (Image credit: itamilradar)
\nOperations<\/strong><\/p>\nPictures released by the French Joint Staff show an E-3F Sentry AWACS receiving fuel from the French A330 MRTT. Another image shows a Rafale C flying with two MICA IR and two MICA EM air-to-air missiles.<\/p>\n
\n
March 2025 | Europe
\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 RC-135V\/W Rivet Joint
\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 P-8A Poseidon
\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 CL650 Artemis
\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 EUFI FGR.4
\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 KC2 Voyager
\ud83c\uddf1\ud83c\uddfa E-3A Sentry
\ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7 E-3F Sentry
\ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7 Dassault Rafale
\ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7 Beech 350 King Air ALSR
\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf9 G550 AEW
\ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddf7 E-7T Peace Eagle
\ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddf7 ATR 72-600 TMPA pic.twitter.com\/gKsPB1To8i<\/a><\/p>\n\u2014 about plane (@about_plane) April 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Footage released<\/a> by the French Joint Staff pertaining to the operation also shows an E-2C Hawkeye and two Rafale Ms being launched from the FNS Charles De Gaulle. The latter, however, were shown in multiple different configurations in the short video, so this might have been file footage and not related to the operation. The video also showed the Rafales receiving fuel from the A330 MRTT and another Rafale configured for buddy refueling.<\/p>\n
Images published by the Permanent Joint Headquarters showed the Rivet Joint flying over land, a Typhoon taking off, and a French Air Force Rafale flying over water unarmed, with only three external fuel tanks. Once again, it is unclear if these are file images.<\/p>\n
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\ud83d\udccdMer Noire | Coop\u00e9ration \ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7<\/p>\n
Surveillance d\u2019une zone strat\u00e9gique pour la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 du continent avec un dispositif a\u00e9rien complet.<\/p>\n
\u27a1\ufe0f Garantir la libert\u00e9 de navigation et l\u2019acc\u00e8s aux espaces partag\u00e9s.<\/p>\n
\u27a1\ufe0f Pr\u00e9server la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 et de pr\u00e9venir toute menace. https:\/\/t.co\/d4risgdCtf<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Bwtyc1G2qM<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Arm\u00e9e fran\u00e7aise \u2013 Op\u00e9rations militaires (@EtatMajorFR) April 12, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
FNS Charles De Gaulle<\/strong><\/p>\n
The FNS Charles De Gaulle, that was reported sailing into Piraeus in Greece on Apr. 12, 2025<\/a>, launched its aircraft from over the Mediterranean Sea. The aircraft carrier left Singapore on Mar. 10<\/a>, according to warship tracker \u2018WarshipCam\u2019 on X, and is on the last leg of its Clemenceau 25<\/a> deployment, before sailing back to France.<\/p>\n
The carrier cannot have entered the Black Sea, since it would have required an approval from Turkey as per the Montreux Convention, which gives it control over the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits. The features connect the Mediterranean and Black Seas.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/British-French-Black-Sea-2-706x397.jpg\"\/)
<\/a>A French E-3F AWACS receives fuel from an A330 MRTT tanker. (Image credit: French Joint Staff on X)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/British-French-Black-Sea-3-706x399.jpg\"\/)
<\/a>Flight tracks of the various aircraft operating over the Black Sea on Apr. 11, 2025. (Image credit: itamilradar)