TYB
Ukrainian drones target key US-linked oil hub in Russia – Defense Ministry
Updated 6 Apr, 2026 17:00
Ukrainian drones have attacked the oil infrastructure of the Russian port of Novorossiysk, which is operated by the internationally-owned Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), the Defense Ministry in Moscow has reported.
The CPC crude shipment hub on the Black Sea shore has been repeatedly targeted in suspected Ukrainian UAV strikes in recent months, prompting condemnation from Kazakhstan and the US.
The consortium ships oil from Kazakhstan through the Caspian Pipeline to a marine terminal in Novorossiysk, where it is loaded onto tankers bound for Europe and Asia.
Among the CPC shareholders are major energy companies from Russia, Kazakhstan, several Western European countries and the US, including Chevron and ExxonMobil.
On Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that overnight, “the Kiev regime conducted an attack on facilities at the marine transshipment complex in Novorossiysk, involving fixed-wing strike UAVs.”
According to the statement, the strike was aimed at “destabilizing the global hydrocarbon market and stopping deliveries of oil products to European consumers.”
The latest attack also sought to “inflict maximum economic damage on the largest [CPC] shareholders – energy companies from Kazakhstan and the US.”
No casualties have been reported, but an unloading berth and four tanks were damaged.
Last November, the CPC’s office in Novorossiysk and one of the berths at its marine terminal were struck by suspected Ukrainian drones.
The company stated at the time that it was the third act of aggression against a civilian facility protected under international law since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
In February 2025, UAVs targeted the consortium-operated Kropotkinskaya oil pumping station.
Following the November attack, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry lodged an official protest with Ukraine.
In February, Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Olga Stefanishina revealed that Washington had similarly filed a formal demarche with Kiev over the strike, in which “American economic interest was affected.”
In recent months, Ukraine has intensified its strikes on Russia’s oil infrastructure including refineries, pipelines, and terminals in an effort to disrupt the country’s ability to export crude.
Moscow has accused Kiev of resorting to terrorist tactics and inflicting damage to third parties not involved in the conflict between the two nations.
https://www.rt.com/russia/637470-ukrainian-drones-target-russian-oil-shipment-hub-mod/
extra RT
https://www.rt.com/russia/637403-ukrainian-drone-smashes-into-apartment/
https://www.rt.com/news/637425-serbia-hungary-ukraine-gas/
https://www.rt.com/russia/637386-ukraine-drone-attack-grain-vessel/
One dead after Ukrainian drone attacked grain vessel in Azov sea – official
Updated 5 Apr, 2026 18:50
A cargo ship sank in the Azov Sea after a Ukrainian drone strike, leaving one crew member dead, according to Kherson Region Governor Vladimir Saldo. He described the incident as a “terrorist attack.”
The vessel, identified as the Volgo-Balt, was attacked on April 3 while carrying wheat, Saldo said on Telegram on Sunday. The crew abandoned the ship as it began to sink and managed to reach shore near the village of Strelkovoye in Russia’s Kherson Region two days later.
One person, the senior assistant captain, died, while two others remain missing, according to the governor. Local residents were the first to help the crew after they reached shore, assisting them before emergency services arrived.
The captain has been hospitalized in the town of Genichesk, Saldo said, adding that other crew members were receiving medical and psychological assistance.
“This is not the first time Ukraine has attacked civilian vessels in international waters. There will be accountability for these crimes,” Saldo added.
Earlier, TASS reported that the Russian-flagged Volga-Balt-138 was sailing from the port of Azov in Rostov Region to the port of Kavkaz in Krasnodar Region, citing MarineTraffic data, and was due to arrive on April 2.
Its last signal was received three days before the incident. Nine crew members evacuated in a lifeboat capsule and reached Kherson Region.
Russian officials have repeatedly accused Ukraine of targeting civilian infrastructure and vessels.
https://www.rt.com/russia/637386-ukraine-drone-attack-grain-vessel/
Ukraine says Russian frigate “Admiral Makarov” destroyed in Novorossiysk drone strike
06 April 2026 18:10 (UTC +04:00)
Ukraine has announced the destruction of the Russian frigate “Admiral Makarov” in the port of Novorossiysk, APA reports.
According to the commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukrainian drones struck the frigate of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet during the night.
He said Ukrainian intelligence is currently assessing the extent of damage to the vessel capable of carrying Kalibr cruise missiles.
Krasnodar region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev confirmed a drone attack on the region.
He stated that several houses were damaged, eight people were injured, and drone debris was found in the areas of several facilities.
The governor did not provide detailed information about a possible strike on military facilities.
https://en.apa.az/cis-countries/ukraine-says-russian-frigate-admiral-makarov-destroyed-in-novorossiysk-drone-strike-500018
other Russia and Ukraine
https://united24media.com/latest-news/russia-claims-ukraine-used-graphite-bomb-drones-heres-what-that-means-17646
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-exchange-drone-strikes/33725871.html
https://kyivindependent.com/as-russian-attacks-on-ukraines-railways-intensify-passenger-trains-now-targets-for-drones/
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/moment-of-impact-drone-strike-on-kharkiv-1775478503.html
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/ukraine-surpasses-russia-in-drone-attacks-1775485481.html
https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Ukraine-Steps-Up-Drone-Attacks-on-Russian-Oil-Infrastructure.html
https://united24media.com/latest-news/ukraines-ursula-drone-evolves-and-its-built-for-more-than-supply-runs-17637
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/73343
https://yle.fi/a/74-20219062
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/2026-04-06/live-updates-892184
other Israel
https://www.lokmattimes.com/international/idf-claims-large-scale-strikes-on-iranian-airfields-in-tehran-targets-aircraft-and-military-infrastructure/
https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-iran-war-idf-claims-strikes-on-three-airports-near-tehran-area-1775493852794
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-it-has-killed-1100-hezbollah-operatives-since-start-of-war/
https://www.firstpost.com/world/israel-targets-irans-quds-force-unit-says-senior-commander-asghar-bagheri-eliminated-13997246.html
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/middle-east/iran-eastern-states/artc-katz-confirms-the-idf-struck-the-largest-petrochemical-facility-in-iran
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/idf-nahal-brigade-kills-hezbollah-115952415.html
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/425135
https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/huckabee-thanks-israel-for-idf-mossad-help-in-rescue-of-air-crew
Live Updates: Trump: Iran can be taken out in one night, and that might be tomorrow night
April 6, 2026
Trump: Iran proposal not good enough, Tuesday deadline final • IDF strikes Iran's largest petrochemical plant, airports across Tehran • Fourth casualty confirmed in Haifa collapsed building
April 6, 8:59 PM
F-15s assassinated Khamenei, now hunting Iran ballistic missiles, Air Force base chief tells 'Post'
IDF Hatzerim Air Force Base Chief Brig. Gen. "R" tells the Post about stalking Iran ballistic missile crews and the dangers of air defenses, even with general air supremacy.
Israel's F-15s were the aircraft which assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iran's top military leaders. They, along with the F-16s and F-35s, also were part of the key thrust on February 28 which broke the Islamic regime's ability to launch what would have been devastating large-scale ballistic missile salvos at Israel, and have continued hunting the missile teams down ever since.
IDF Hatzerim Air Force Base Chief Brig. Gen. 'R', who commands both F-15 and F-16 squadrons, in his first interview with an English-speaking publication recently spoke to The Jerusalem Post to tell the fuller story of the mission to stalk the ballistic missile teams.
He declined to discuss the still highly sensitive war-starting assassination operations, but did note that the "opening shots" of the war were massive and went far beyond those operations, saying, "the initial operational success was fantastic – it meant that we stopped a lot of the potential harm to our citizens."
April 6, 8:42 PM
Strait of Hormuz closure has raised oil prices, but not without precedent - analysis
Even as gas prices have risen in recent weeks, another set of numbers has remained relatively contained: the markets.
At roughly $109 a barrel for Brent crude and about $4.10 for a gallon of gas in the US, energy prices feel high.
They are high. But, and here is the crux, they are not historically extraordinary, not by a long shot. Yet how those prices are framed matters, because it shapes how the public reacts and how policymakers respond.
And right now, the war and Iran’s moves to close the Strait of Hormuz, though with each deadline set and then extended, more ships are being allowed through, are widely being framed as something that could have a “lasting” impact on the global economy.
“The war has killed thousands, sparked an energy crisis and threatened lasting damage to the world economy,” read a Reuters report on Saturday, reprinted widely in newspapers around the world.
Yet “lasting” is a long time, and perhaps more than the situation, serious as it is, actually justifies. This is not the first time oil prices have spiked. The shock can be sharp, the impact real. But for it to be lasting, the disruption itself would have to last, over many months, not days or weeks, and that is not what we are seeing.
Markets adjust. Supply finds its way, whether through the release of strategic reserves or the rerouting of shipments, and demand eases. What feels like a jolt often proves just that: a jolt.
The numbers, taken without historical context, suggest crisis. History suggests something more measured.
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April 6, 8:29 PM
IDF Home Front Command extends siren warning times for Hezbollah rockets in North
In 22 locations in the Golan Heights, the time will be extended from "immediate" to 15-30 seconds, depending on the town.
Beginning at noon on Tuesday, the IDF's Home Front Command will extend the time civilians have to reach shelter from the moment a siren sounds for rockets launched by Hezbollah in Lebanon toward Israel, the military announced on Monday.
In 22 locations, the time will be extended from "immediate" to 15-30 seconds, depending on the town. In another 14 areas, the time will be extended from 15 seconds to either 30 or 45 seconds. In eight areas, they will extend from 30 to 45 seconds, and in a further five, there will be no change.
At the five locations with no change, citizens have either 15 seconds or a full minute to find shelter after a siren sounds.
All 49 areas are in the Golan Heights or the Jordan River Valley area.
April 6, 8:02 PM
WATCH LIVE: Trump holds press conference on Iran war developments
April 6, 7:28 PM
Some 56 injured in Israel over past 24 hours, 2,390 since start of war
Magen David Adom has treated 56 people for physical and mental injuries caused by missile fire over the past 24 hours, MDA said on Monday evening.
Since the start of Operation Roaring Lion, MDA teams have provided medical care to 2,390 individuals - 1,854 for physical injuries and 536 for post-traumatic symptoms.
Following the recent deaths of four family members in Haifa due to an Iranian ballistic missile attack, the total number of fatalities in the ongoing conflict has risen to 23, including those killed by Iranian missile fire in the West Bank.
April 6, 7:22 PM
Elderly couple, son among four killed in Haifa building collapse
The four people killed in Haifa following Sunday’s Iranian ballistic missile attack were named on Monday afternoon.
The victims were an elderly couple, Vladimir and Lena Gershevich, both in their 80s, their son Dmitri, 40, and his partner Lucille-Jean, 30, a citizen of the Philippines.
April 6, 6:35 PM
Iran rejects temporary ceasefire proposal, Trump stresses Tuesday deadline is 'final'
According to IRNA, Iran is demanding a complete end to the fighting in the region, along with a protocol to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has rejected the proposal for a temporary ceasefire with the United States, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported on Monday.
According to IRNA, Iran is demanding a complete end to the fighting in the region, along with a protocol to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's response conveyed to mediators consists of 10 clauses, the report noted. "The gaps are very significant," a source familiar with the details told The Jerusalem Post.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to rain "hell" on Tehran if it did not make a deal by the end of Tuesday that would allow traffic to start moving again through the vital route for global energy supplies.
While answering reporter questions outside the White House on Monday, Trump said that the war could end "very quickly" if Iran went along with the deal, adding that the people the US is currently negotiating with were "reasonable and not as radicalized." He stressed that the Tuesday deadline he has set for Iran to make a deal is final, adding that Iran's proposal was significant but not good enough.
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April 6, 6:32 PM
Netanyahu: We are systematically eliminating the IRGC
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement on Monday, updating the press on Israel's progress in the war in Iran and assuring citizens of his cooperation with US President Donald Trump.
"Today, we destroyed the largest petrochemical plant in Iran," Netanyahu said, echoing Defense Minister Israel Katz's statements from earlier on Monday.
"In other words," the prime minister added, "we are systematically eliminating the IRGC's money machine."
Netanyahu mentioned that he had spoken with Trump on Sunday, and that the US president had been very complimentary.
"I expressed to Trump our enormous appreciation for the heroic rescue operation of that American air force crew member," Netanyahu said, "and President Trump, for his part, thanked me for the assistance that Israel provided in this operation."
"Overall," he added, "the president spoke of us in superlatives."
April 6, 5:53 PM
Iran rejects proposal for temporary ceasfire with US, demands permanent end to war
Iran has rejected the proposal for a temporary ceasefire with the United States, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported on Monday,
According to IRNA, Iran is demanding a complete end to the fighting in the region, along with a protocol to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.”
April 6, 5:28 PM
IDF strikes three Tehran airports, targets dozens of Iranian fighter jets in attacks
Dozens of IAF fighter jets struck targets at Bahram Airport, Mehrabad Airport, and Azmayesh Airport.
The Israeli Air Force conducted a large-scale wave of strikes overnight on Sunday, targeting three airports across Tehran and aimed at wearing down the Iranian Air Force and the IRGC Air Force capabilities, the military said on Monday.
Dozens of IAF fighter jets struck targets at Bahram Airport, Mehrabad Airport, and Azmayesh Airport.
Mehrabad Airport, which has been targeted multiple times during Operation Roaring Lion, was used by the IRGC’s Quds Force and served as a central hub for arming and financing the regime’s terrorist proxies in the Middle East, the military said.
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https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202604067622
other Iran
https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2026/04/06/uae-intercepts-12-ballistic-missiles-two-cruise-missiles-and-19-drones-on-monday/
https://sharjah24.ae/en/Articles/2026/04/06/Ma26
https://operativmm.az/en/post/us-drones-shot-down-over-isfahan-and-kharg-island/69851
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/4/6/in-maps-and-photos-five-iranian-civilian-bridges-at-risk-of-us-strikes
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/6/trump-warns-deadline-final-as-iran-pushes-proposal-to-end-war
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/06/polymarket-criticized-bets-us-jet-shot-by-iran
https://www.axios.com/2026/04/06/iran-trump-peace-plan-ceasefire
https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4452069/us-continues-strikes-into-iran-after-successful-rescue-of-f-15e-aircrew/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/05/timeline-us-military-jets-shot-down
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/6/pakistan-offers-two-tier-truce-iran-wont-open-hormuz-under-temporary-one
https://www.c-span.org/program/white-house-event/president-trump-remarks-to-reporters-on-iran/676888
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/6/democrats-blast-trump-for-iran-war-crimes-threat-republicans-supportive
Trump vows to 'finish it up' after Iran rejects ceasefire proposal
April 6, 2026
Summary
Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that the US has "many alternatives. We could leave right now, and it would take them 15 years to rebuild what they have. We could leave right now, but I want to finish it up."
Iran has conveyed its official response to a US proposal to end the war through Pakistan, the government's news agency IRNA reported, saying Tehran rejected a ceasefire and instead called for a permanent end to the conflict on its own terms.
Israel struck Iran’s largest petrochemical facility in Asaluyeh on Monday, inflicting major economic damage and shutting down a significant share of the country’s export capacity, Defense Minister Israel Katz said.
The Israeli military said on Monday that it killed General Majid Khademi, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence organization, in an overnight strike in Tehran.
US and Israel heavily bombed Tehran and other Iranian cities while Iran struck Haifa as the war entered its sixth week on Monday.
15 minutes ago
Trump says he prefers Kurdish allies to stay away from Iran war
Asked about reported plans to have Kurdish forces launch a ground operation against Iran, President Donald Trump said, “I'd rather have them stay away because I think they bring with them some problems and some difficulties. They bring death, I mean to themselves."
29 minutes ago
Iranians 'willing' to suffer for freedom, Trump says on infrastructure attacks
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the Iranian people are “willing” to suffer in order to gain freedom, when asked whether attacking Iran’s infrastructure would punish civilians for the regime’s actions.
"The Iranians have, we've had numerous intercepts, saying please keep bombing bombs that are dropping near their homes. Please keep bombing. Do it. And these are people that are living where the bombs are exploding and when we leave and we're not hitting those areas, they're saying, Please come back. Come back. Come back."
"I don't know what they do. All I can tell you is they want freedom. They have lived in a world that you know nothing about. It's a violent, horrible world where if you protest, you are shot," Trump added.
"We're giving them (Iran leaders) till tomorrow, eight o'clock Eastern time, and after that, they're gonna have no bridges, they're gonna have no power plants. Stone ages," Donald Trump told reporters, doubling down on his earlier threats to attack Iran's infrastructure.
54 minutes ago
Iran's military 'humiliated' by US successful rescue of airmen, Hegseth says
"Iran's military is embarrassed and humiliated, and they should be" following the US successfully extracted its two aviators, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told reporters in a press conference on Monday.
"Today will be the largest volume of strikes since day one of this operation. Tomorrow, even more than today, and then Iran has a choice. Choose wisely, because this president does not play around."
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1 hour ago
Trump threatens jail for leaker who exposed missing US pilot
President Donald Trump said authorities are working to identify a leaker who disclosed information about a missing US pilot in Iran, warning that the ones involved could face jail if they do not reveal their source.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said the leak alerted Iran to the presence of the second US airman on its territory, potentially endangering his life.
He said officials were “looking very hard” to find the source of the leak and suggested the government could compel the media organization that published the information to cooperate on national security grounds.
“Give it up or go to jail,” Trump said.
He added that the disclosure revealed details about a missing crew member before authorities had confirmed the situation publicly, saying it allowed Iran to become aware that a US pilot was “somewhere on their land… fighting for his life.”
1 hour ago
US airmen rescue could have left 100 Americans dead, Trump says at presser
The decision to extract the US airmen from Iran was "risky", Donald Trump said at a press conference. "Because we could have ended up with 100 dead, as opposed to one or two. It's a hard decision to make, but in the US military, we leave no American behind."
1 hour ago
Iran's proposal 'very significant but not good enough,' Trump says
US President Donald Trump said on Monday Iran made a “very significant” proposal but it was still not good enough, adding that negotiations had been conducted in good faith.
"The people there now are much more reasonable than the lunatics that you had… The people that we're dealing with is not as radicalized, and we think they're actually much smarter."
1 hour ago
Khamenei Jr. says Khademi's killing won't disrupt IRGC intel - state media
A message attributed to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei offered condolences to Iranian commanders over the killing of IRGC intelligence chief Majid Khademi, stressing that his assassination would not disrupt the institution.
1 hour ago
Netanyahu says Israel will continue killing senior Iranian officials
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is continuing to target and kill senior figures within Iran’s leadership, as part of a broader campaign to weaken what he described as the regime’s core capabilities.
Netanyahu said Israeli forces were “systematically dismantling” Iran’s infrastructure, including destroying factories and targeting operatives.
“We are continuing to eliminate senior officials,” he said, adding that recent strikes had also hit major economic assets, including Iran’s largest petrochemical plant.
Netanyahu said the campaign was aimed at undermining the financial and operational foundations of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
He also emphasized close coordination with the United States, saying he had spoken with President Donald Trump and that both sides were working “shoulder-to-shoulder” against Iran.
2 hours ago
'We can leave right now but I want to finish it up,' Trump says on Iran war
"Hopefully it (the Iran war) can be over quickly. We have many alternatives we could leave right now, and it would take them 15 years to rebuild what they have. We could leave right now, but I want to finish it up," US President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday.
Trump said the final deadline for Iran is Tuesday at 8 p.m. EST, adding that “you have to watch” what would happen if Tehran fails to meet US demands.
"Unfortunately, the American people would like to see us come home. If it were up to me, I'd take the oil, keep the oil, and we'd make plenty of money. And I'd also take care of the people of Iran much better than they've been taken care of," Trump said.
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https://theaviationist.com/2026/04/06/incredible-footage-emerges-rq-180-spy-drone/
https://twitter.com/ArmchairAdml/status/2034406484059078682
Lady of Larissa Flies Again: Incredible New Footage Emerges of the Secretive RQ-180 Spy Drone
April 6, 2026 at 5:04 PM
New videos give an even clearer view – unquestionably our best ever – of the legendary classified stealth drone, previously seen making an emergency landing in Greece last month.
Last month, we reported on images taken in Larissa, Greece, showing what we, and others, concluded – based on prior sightings and comment from familiar sources – was the U.S. Air Force’s secretive and still undisclosed ‘RQ-180’ stealth UAV.
We do not know the official designation for this airframe, so we, like many others, use the label RQ-180 in lieu of this.
The aircraft had apparently appeared in daylight hours over Greece owing to an in flight emergency, requiring a diversion – though this may have been a cover story linked to the clearly incorrect explanation that it was a B-2 Spirit.
As we reported, Larissa is not unfamiliar to U.S. drone operations. After news of the video trickled out, the aircraft quickly picked up the colloqial nickname ‘Lady of Larissa’.
Now, in recent days, even more video footage from Greece has emerged online, taken by The Aviationist reader Efthymios Siakaras, showing a view almost directly underneath the aircraft as it apparently makes an approach to land.
The new, closer angle allows us to see details on the aircraft we’ve never previously been able to make out. We have a clear view of the jet’s landing gear configuration (which definitively rules out any question of this being a B-21 Raider), as well as a good look at what appears to be a large transparent aperture for visible light or infrared sensors fitted flush to the belly of the airframe.
Though we could guess previously about what sensors may or may not be carried by the RQ-180, this video gives us our first apparent confirmation of what its payload can include.
Most likely, the aircraft has been designed with a wide array of sensor capabilities, including synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) equipment.
Some sensor payloads may be interchangeable for other configurations based on the mission type, or the configurations may vary according to specific airframes across the total fleet.
Nine pre-production examples of the RQ-180 are known to exist, as recorded by Peter Merlin, and around twice as many production airframes are thought to have subsequently been constructed.
These aircraft may even sport different paint schemes, with some artwork seen in mission patches and logos hinting at dark-coloured airframes as well as the ‘White Bat’ or ‘Shikaka’ style examples.
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Another C-17 flight from Edwards to Larissa (with stopovers) arrived and subsequently departed on the morning of Apr. 6 as REACH 1844.
Larissa does have two interesting hangars, far away from other built up areas of the airfield, which may have been constructed to support clandestine drone operations.
Notably the U.S. MQ-9 Reapers based there are instead known to operate from hangars to the north of the airfield (as also seen on satellite imagery), rather than these two. Based on historical satellite imagery, the hangars were constructed within the last few years.
It has previously been thought that the most likely RQ-180 forward bases in Europe would be at RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus or Naval Air Station Sigonella on Sicily.
Akrotiri, in particular, is quite well suited for this use case, being owned and operated by a Five Eyes ally and existing within sovereign territory used almost exclusively for military purposes, bordered on three sides by open sea.
Larissa, however, might offer added flexibility to RQ-180 (and, it should be noted, RQ-170) operations and may have been developed with Black Sea or even Ukraine overflight missions in mind.
Though further inland than the other two options, primarily operating at night could mitigate at least some degree of exposure risk.
Additionally, aircraft spotting at military installations outside of official events is heavily restricted in Greece and has resulted in unfamiliar foreign tourists being arrested and charged on several occasions.
The RQ-180 is thought to have been in frontline use for quite some time, and it was only an eventuality that at some point it would begin making more public appearances.
An official reveal of the aircraft has been suggested as an upcoming possibility by industry commentators for a number of years, but none has yet been forthcoming.
Instead, the approaching in-service date of the B-21 Raider might have been judged by U.S. authorities to provide an even better way to keep the RQ-180’s activity under wraps as the planform of the two aircraft is similar, much more so than the B-2 with its sawtooth trailing edge introduced late in development to improve low altitude performance.
If the RQ-180 does continue to get more of a public spotlight, the question that remains is what, if anything, might the U.S. Air Force have in the wings that takes the RQ-180’s capabilities to the next level?
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