Eastern Mediterranean: P-8A tracks unidentified low-flying object off Latakia
On 18 November 2016 at 13:10 UTC, a U.S. Navy P-8A monitoring the Russian carrier task group in the eastern Mediterranean observed via its EO/IR sensor an unidentified low-flying object about 55 nautical miles northwest of Latakia, Syria, moving at roughly 500 knots on a southeasterly heading for about two minutes.
Background
According to a declassified U.S. Central Command mission summary of CTG 67.1, the P-8A crew detected at 13:10Z on 18 November 2016 what they described as a possible missile launch from an unknown origin, appearing to be in sea-skim mode and travelling at approximately 500 knots on a southeasterly heading outbound from the Russian carrier task group (KCTG); the P-8A was about 26 NM south of the detection point. At 13:12Z the crew lost visual of the object about 40 NM northwest of Latakia; the object was observed to pass between the Russian vessel INGUL and an unidentified vessel. The aircrew characterised visibility as clear with no range limitations, and the mission commander described the interaction as safe. CTG 67.1 commented that, while this was the first observed occurrence of possible missile activity by P-8 aircraft in the eastern Mediterranean, it was assessed to be standard activity consistent with the assessed activity of the carrier task group; a link to video footage is redacted. The summary was declassified by the USCENTCOM Chief of Staff and approved for release to AARO in March 2026. The details are taken from the records released by the U.S. Department of War (record code DOW-UAP-D55) and do not represent an independent determination by From Beyond Space.