The United States Air Force has deployed three special operations U-28A Draco aircraft to the North Sea, departing from bases in the United Kingdom, amid rising tensions involving the tanker Marinera, which is sailing under the Russian flag.
The aircraft were tracked heading toward the same area of the region, indicating a coordinated intelligence and surveillance mission.
The U-28A is used to provide real-time information, navigation support, and monitoring of maritime areas, and is frequently employed in maritime interdiction operations. At the same time, CV-22B Osprey aircraft carried out rappelling and rescue training at British bases, in a scenario reminiscent of preparations for vessel boarding operations.
+ Rezvani unveils redesigned Tank SUV for 2026
The tanker Marinera, previously known as Bella 1, departed Venezuela and traveled through the Caribbean to the North Atlantic in recent days, avoiding contact with U.S. authorities. According to international media reports, Russia is believed to have dispatched naval assets to accompany the vessel, while the United States has intensified reconnaissance flights in the area, heightening the atmosphere of strategic alert in the North Atlantic.
Multiple U-28A “Draco” Special Operations Aircraft with the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) have departed from Wick John O’Groats Airport in Northern Scotland and are heading northwest towards Iceland, expected to pass almost directly over where operations are… pic.twitter.com/JcphsFcRBE
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 7, 2026
GM My X-Frens!!
We had not 1 but 2 U-28A DRACOs stop in here at CLL. I barely managed to catch them as they snuck out. Once they got airborne, one of them showed the generic icon and a basic hex code with no other information for about 2 minutes then disappeared off ADS-B… pic.twitter.com/OB74n6G92Y— John Kochan 🚁🚀🛩️ (@WindTunnelGuy) January 7, 2026
Source: Defence Blog | Photo: X @WindTunnelGuy | This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
