French Maritime Patrol Plane Extends Stay After Black Sea Cargo Vessel Attacks
The aircraft detected sea drones that sank a container ship, and France is keeping it in place as NATO bolsters Black Sea surveillance.
- On Thursday, France announced it will extend the deployment of an Atlantique maritime patrol aircraft in Romania by several weeks following deadly strikes on merchant ships in the Black Sea.
- French forces relocated the Atlantique to the Romanian Mihail Kogalniceanu air base on October 18 after NATO members Romania and Bulgaria requested reinforcements to protect commercial shipping lanes.
- On October 28, the aircraft detected three sea drones that struck and sank the Greek-owned container vessel Contship Jet in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, demonstrating its detection capabilities.
- By late October, more than 570 vessels had been struck and at least 40 sailors killed since the start of 2026, with UNITED24 Media reporting Russia was responsible for around 90% of attacks on shipping during the preceding 45 days.
- NATO committed to investing more than $40 billion in counter-drone capabilities over the next five years, with the alliance declaring its commitment to defending all its members, including those on the Black Sea, was 'ironclad'.
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The French aircraft Atlantic 2 will remain for a few more weeks at Base 57 Mihail Kogălniceanu, based on attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea. The aircraft can detect submarines, warships, marine drones and me.
France Extends Stay of Black Sea Patrol Plane After Deadly Russian Attacks on Shipping
France will extend the deployment of an Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft in Romania by several weeks after a series of attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea, Reuters reported on November 5. The aircraft was originally scheduled to leave Romania on November 6 after being temporarily deployed to Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base on October 18. We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field. DONATE NOW Russia…
France extends maritime patrol plane’s stay in Black Sea after cargo ship attacks
BUCHAREST: A French maritime patrol aircraft deployed to Romania to bolster surveillance after a series of deadly strikes on merchant ships in the Black Sea on the edge of NATO’s eastern flank will extend its stay by several weeks, its commander said on Thursday. The attacks have shown how the escalating maritime war between Russia and Ukraine is expanding into a major challenge for NATO in the Black Sea that has left member states such as Roman…
France extends the mission of a military maritime patrol aircraft, dislocated at the base of Mihail Kogălniceanu to supervise the Black Sea, after a series of attacks on commercial ships. Atlantic aircraft 2, equipped with radars and performance sensors, can detect submarines and marine drones. A Digi24 team boarded the aircraft and filmed the equipment used in surveillance missions.
The French Maritime Patrol Airplane Atlantic 2 will extend its stay with "a few weeks", according to the announcement made on Thursday by the aircraft commander, quoted by Reuters. On 27 October, the Romanian Ministry of National Defence (MAPN) announced that France had sent the plane to Base 57 Air Force "Captain Aviator Constantin Cantacuzino" from Mihail Kogălniceanu, for "supervisory missions and ...
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