France sends patrol planes to Black Sea after ship attacks

A French Navy Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft has deployed to Romania and is supporting search and rescue efforts after a wave of drone attacks on merchant ships off the Romanian and Bulgarian coasts, while a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon has begun patrolling the Black Sea at Bulgaria’s request.

The Atlantique 2 arrived in Constanța on the evening of Oct. 18, Romanian outlet Curs de Guvernare reported, citing flight-tracking data. France has confirmed that the aircraft, operating under NATO arrangements, has supported rescue efforts near Bulgaria and Romania.

The same evening, the P-8A flew in from Naval Air Station Sigonella in Sicily to the Bulgarian port city of Varna and began circling off the Bulgarian coast. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Oct. 20 that the U.S. aircraft started patrolling after Sofia asked allies for help following the attacks on ships in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, adding that some allies had responded very quickly.

Both aircraft are built to find things at sea. The Atlantique 2 was designed for anti-submarine warfare and has been upgraded to carry out surveillance, detection and electronic intelligence missions using onboard radar and sonar, and it can fly very low over the water to track ships and submarines. The P-8A, based on the Boeing 737, is the U.S. Navy’s main maritime patrol aircraft and is used for surveillance, reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare.

The deployments follow drone attacks on at least seven merchant vessels in the Black Sea this month in the exclusive economic zones of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria. On Oct. 13, drones struck two cargo ships off Bulgaria, sinking one and leaving 11 sailors missing. Two tankers anchored near the Sulina Canal, which links the Danube to the Black Sea and serves as an export route for Ukraine, were hit days later, and seven crew members went missing when the chemical tanker Wine Trader caught fire on Oct. 15. A NATO military source told Reuters the two tankers were struck by Russian drones.

On Oct. 17, Romanian F-16s shot down two Russian jet-powered Geran drones over the Black Sea that, according to Romanian authorities, were heading to attack merchant ships.

The latest attack came on Oct. 23, when the Comoros-flagged cargo ship Khoryv capsized about 13 nautical miles (24 km) east of Constanța after a drone strike that Romanian President Nicușor Dan blamed on Russia. Of its 13 crew members, 10 Ukrainians and three Azerbaijanis, nine were rescued and one was found dead, while three remained missing. Romania’s naval authority said bad weather and poor visibility prevented a rescue helicopter from flying.

At Romania’s request, NATO’s North Atlantic Council met in Brussels on Oct. 20 to discuss Black Sea defense and deterrence. Afterward, the alliance said it would send additional maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems and drones to the region. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had said a week earlier, after meeting Dan and Radev, that the alliance would adjust its deterrence and defense posture in the Black Sea and was ready to help Romania and Bulgaria strengthen counter-drone defenses and maritime monitoring.

“Our armed forces have prepared for an intensification of hybrid interference and will continue to prioritize air defense and maritime security,” said acting Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu.

French Atlantique 2 aircraft regularly fly over Romanian waters as part of NATO surveillance missions and took part in the alliance’s Neptune Strike exercise in the region in May.