RAF RC-135W and P-8A Fly 10,000 Mile Patrol Along the NATO’s Eastern Flank

The two British aircraft flew a 12-hour mission along the border with Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.

In a rare mission, a Royal Air Force (RAF) RC-135W Rivet Joint electronic surveillance aircraft flew a 12-hour-long mission on Oct. 9, 2025, patrolling the entire border along NATO’s eastern flank and the Black Sea. An RAF P-8A Poseidon (Poseidon MRA1 as per the British designation), also flew a part of the journey along the Russian and Belarusian border before conducting a patrol over the Baltic Sea. Contents The two British aircraft flew a 12-hour mission along the border with Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. The mission ‘Collective resolve and coordination to defend NATO’

The RAF’s statement said that the P-8A flew a “focused route” around the Baltic Sea, while the RC-13W pr