A joint surveillance mission noticed a French E-3F and a British RC-135 working over the Black Sea supported by tankers and fighters from Belgium and France.
Belgium, France and the UK performed a surveillance mission over the Black Sea on Jul. 23, 2025. The Belgian Defence and the French Air and Area Power (Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace/FASF) shared pictures on social media which confirmed the involvement of two F-16s from the Belgian F-16s, two French Rafales, a French E-3F Sentry AWACS (Airborne Warning and Management System), and three A330 MRTTs (Multi-Position Tanker Transport), of which two had been French and the opposite was from the NATO MMF (Multinational MRTT Fleet) with a Belgian crew.
It’s unclear which British property took half within the operation, because the UK Ministry of Protection didn’t launch info. Nonetheless, flight monitoring information present {that a} RAF RC-135W operated over the Black Sea in the identical timeframe.
It’s potential that different British plane had been concerned, as an identical joint surveillance mission on Apr. 11, 2025, noticed the presence of a RAF RC-135, Typhoons and a Voyager KC3 (British designation for the Airbus A330 MRTT). In that case, the RC-135 departed from its house station at RAF Waddington, whereas the opposite property departed from RAF Akrotiri, in Cyprus.
Yesterday, 🇧🇪 #F16, in assist of and in cooperation with 🇫🇷& 🇬🇧, have carried out a defensive air surveillance mission over the Black Sea. This operation is a part of an enhanced vigilance and strengthens European safety and freedom of navigation in worldwide waters. pic.twitter.com/v2VIzJ8SX7
— Belgian Defence (@BelgiumDefence) July 24, 2025
The mission
The three MRTTs refueled all French and Belgian plane concerned, with the photographs exhibiting a Rafale C behind one MRTT with each its wing-mounted hose and drogue programs prolonged, and an F-16 behind one other MRTT which prolonged its centerline increase. A picture from inside one of many A330s confirmed a shot from the increase operator’s console throughout the refueling of the E-3F AWACS.
The Belgian Air Part F-16As, presumably from the tenth Tactical Wing at Kleine Brogel Air Base, are armed with two reside AIM-120 AMRAAMs (Superior Medium-Vary Air-to-Air Missile) on the wingtips and two reside AIM-9X Sidewinders on the outer pylons. The French Rafale Cs seems to be armed with 4 MICA air-to-air missiles, of which two are MICA IRs on the wingtips and two MICA RFs (Radio Frequency) on the outer pylons.
Reside tracks from FlightRadar24 shared by ‘MilitaryNewsUA’ confirmed the three tankers, with the NATO MRTT flying with the callsign ‘MMF20’ and one of many French tankers flying with the callsign ‘VANT91.’ A Rafale was additionally seen, with the callsign ‘FAF7160.’
❗️The 🇫🇷French Air Power has launched photographs of yesterday’s NATO surveillance mission over the Black Sea involving an E-3F AWACS plane, Rafale fighters and 🇧🇪Belgian F-16s. pic.twitter.com/x9LuKp546y
— 🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 (@front_ukrainian) July 24, 2025
The tankers established an orbit off the Bulgarian coast, whereas the opposite plane continued their flight venturing deeper over the central a part of the Black Sea, south of the Russian-held Crimean peninsula.
Hier, des #F16 🇧🇪, en soutien et en collaboration avec 🇫🇷 & 🇬🇧, ont effectué une mission défensive de surveillance aérienne au-dessus de la mer Noire. Objectif : vigilance accrue, renfort de la sécurité européenne et de la libre circulation dans les eaux internationales. pic.twitter.com/pHuY93zuy8
— Belgian Defence (@BelgiumDefence) July 24, 2025
The RAF RC-135 was seen on flight monitoring web sites because it flew from Waddington to the Black Sea and again with the callsign ‘RRR7223.’ In accordance with the obtainable monitoring information, the multinational bundle labored over the Black Sea for about 4 hours.
Significance
The Belgian Defence mentioned that its F-16s, supported by and in cooperation with France and Britain, “carried out a defensive air surveillance mission over the Black Sea.” The assertion additional added that “this operation is a part of an enhanced vigilance and strengthens European safety and freedom of navigation in worldwide waters.”
📍 Black Sea | Full air bundle on show. 🇫🇷🇬🇧🇧🇪
Joint surveillance mission over a strategic space with our allies 🇬🇧 and 🇧🇪to make sure the safety of the European continent.
👉 Safeguarding safety and stopping any risk at Europe’s borders.👉 Guaranteeing freedom of… pic.twitter.com/Yw98A6wprK
— The 🇫🇷 Joint Employees – Army operations (@FrenchForces) July 24, 2025
The French Joint Operations Command referred to as the operation a “full air deployment” over the Black Sea. “Joint surveillance mission of a strategic space with our allies Belgium and Britain for the safety of the European continent,” talked about the put up on X, including that the 2 objectives had been “preserving safety and stopping any risk at Europe’s borders,” and “making certain freedom of navigation and entry to shared areas.”
Differentiating from earlier comparable French-British surveillance missions, the Belgian participation comes because the nation is working to extend its function inside NATO. The nation additionally lately introduced it will likely be growing its F-35A order by 11 airframes, taking its deliberate fleet from 34 to 45 plane.
The primary eight Belgian airframes have already been delivered, and are getting used for the coaching of Belgian Air Part pilots in the US. The primary F-35s to be primarily based in Belgium are anticipated to make the journey throughout the Atlantic later this yr.
Belgium additionally needs to boost its function within the FCAS (Future Fight Air System) sixth era fighter undertaking with France, Germany and Spain, by shifting from an observer standing to a full member in this system’s subsequent part, as reported by Aviation Week. This is able to suggest the participation of Belgian aerospace firm SABCA, which previously has constructed F-16s underneath license and continues to take care of them, and in addition produces elements for the F-35.
Gisteren hebben 🇧🇪 #F16’s ter ondersteuning van en in samenwerking met 🇫🇷 & 🇬🇧 een defensieve luchtbewakingsopdracht uitgevoerd boven de Zwarte Zee. Deze inzet kadert in verhoogde waakzaamheid en versterkt de Europese veiligheid en vrije doorgang boven internationale wateren pic.twitter.com/xatbjvXce9
— Belgian Defence (@BelgiumDefence) July 24, 2025
NATO additionally introduced the rise of its A330 MRTT fleet from ten to 12 plane, with the extra order of two extra airframes by the NSPA (NATO Help and Procurement Company) introduced by Airbuson Jun. 24, 2025. The 2 extra plane can be delivered in 2028 and 2029 and their order coincides with the formal accession of Sweden and Denmark to the MMF program.
Operated inside NATO’s Multinational MRTT Fleet (MMF), the plane are presently funded and operated by the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Germany, Belgium and Czech Republic, with Sweden and Denmark now including to the fleet. The MMF aids a “pooling association offering commonality, interoperability and price effectivity, a first-rate instance of European operational defence collaboration,” Airbus defined.
