US Spy Plane Conducts Reconnaissance Close to Syrian Border, Russian Bases

This is not the first time American spy planes have conducted survey flights along Syria’s maritime borders, near Russia’s Hmeymim air base and Tartus naval base. US planes also regularly conduct recognisance close to Russia’s borders in Kaliningrad and around Crimea.

A US P-8A Poseidon plane, fitted to detect ships and submarines, has been detected flying along the Syrian coast by several aviation enthusiasts keeping an eye on flight radars on January 30. The plane made several passes along the Syrian maritime border flying at an altitude of 4.7km and then returned to its base in Sicily.

🇺🇸 ✈ United States Navy |VP-26|
Boeing P-8A Poseidon 168438
ICAO: AE4EBC

🇮🇱 ✈ Israeli Air Force
Gulfstream G550 Nachshon Shavit 569
ICAO: 738A4D pic.twitter.com/n0Mzdar5gr

— IntelSky📡✈ (@Intel_sky) January 30, 2019

🇺🇸 ✈ #USN The Boeing P-8A Poseidon (VP-26), US Navy, with tail number 168438 & icao:#AE4EBC on the way to makes reconnaissance flight along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean. 🕵️ LTK #Hmeimim 🇷🇺 #Russia|n AFB at #Jablah, #Latakia & the Russian Navy base in #Tartous. 🇸🇾 pic.twitter.com/IQRcVGKALy

— IntelSky📡✈ (@Intel_sky) January 30, 2019

A similar P-8A Poseidon spy plane was seen near the Syrian coast on 15 December 2018 and even earlier on 8 December 2018.

READ MORE: US Spy Plane Conducted Flight Near Syria Above Waters Closed for Russian Drills

Russia's Hmeymim air base and naval base in Tartus are located on the Syrian coast, and often patrolled by US reconnaissance planes. Such planes also fly along Russia's borders in the Kaliningrad region and circulate around Crimea.