Unusual mission for a USAF Northrop Grumman RQ-4B (reg. 11-2046 – callsign FORTE11) this morning.
The aircraft took off from NAS Sigonella and headed east, following its usual route towards the Black Sea.
Arriving near the border with Athens FIR, over the Ionian Sea, the aircraft began to orbit and continued in this manner for about three hours before returning to Sigonella.
We do not know whether this was an aborted mission or whether the drone took part in the Italian Navy’s ‘Mare Aperto‘ exercise, which is also taking place in the Ionian Sea these days.
Is anyone aware of the reason why all forte drones make a series of orbits in front of the coast of Sicily before each mission to the black sea and on their return?