Overview
- Flight- and ship-tracking reviewed by Newsweek shows a sustained P-8 Poseidon presence tied to the USS Gerald R. Ford operating west of Norway.
- Media reports citing unnamed defense sources describe at least 27 submarine-hunting sorties since Sunday by the U.S., U.K. and Norway.
- RAF P-8s from Lossiemouth maintained near-continuous coverage, while U.S. aircraft flew from Iceland with reported reinforcements from Sicily and Norwegian jets launched from Evenes.
- Tracking data shows aircraft flying racetrack patterns and switching off transponders, with one RAF Poseidon circling roughly 60 miles west of the Lofoten Islands.
- The U.K. Ministry of Defence confirms ongoing Poseidon operations without specifics, and open-source imagery reported by the Barents Observer indicates Yasen-class submarines left Northern Fleet bases earlier in the week.