Pentagon to audit U.S. air defenses amid Black Sea attacks

NATO is sending more maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems and drones to the Black Sea after a run of deadly drone strikes on commercial ships near the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria, two of its members. The alliance announced the move on October 20 after its North Atlantic Council met in Brussels, Reuters reported. The attacks have kept coming since then. At least eight cargo ships have been hit near the two countries in the past three weeks, and about 34 sailors are reported dead or missing, according to Reuters via The Straits Times.straitstimes.com+1

Forensics, but no blame

"Allies have or will send additional maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems, explosive exploitation teams, intelligence personnel, drones, and more to the Black Sea," NATO military spokesperson Col. Martin O'Donnell said, Al Jazeera reported. NATO has not said which country is behind the attacks. Military analysts say Russia almost certainly carried them out, but Moscow has not admitted responsibility, according to Reuters. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called "six attacks in 10 days by suspected Russian drones" a "dangerous and unacceptable escalation," Al Jazeera reported.reuters.com+1

The two NATO members disagree on who to blame. Romania's leaders have said Russia is responsible. That includes President Nicușor Dan, who spoke after a drone sank the cargo ship Khoryv off Constanța on October 23, killing a Ukrainian sailor. Bulgaria says it cannot prove who launched the drones, Euromaidan Press reported.euromaidanpress.com

Allied aircraft on station

A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon flew from Sicily and began patrolling near the Bulgarian coast, and a French Atlantique 2 arrived in Romania, Militarnyi reported. Romania's defense ministry said on October 27 that the French plane will fly surveillance missions over the western Black Sea until November 6. On October 17, Romanian F-16s shot down two Russian drones over Romanian territorial waters, according to Reuters via The Straits Times.militarnyi.com+1

Pentagon review of defenses

Pentagon investigators will also look at how well U.S. forces in the region are prepared. A new oversight plan from the Defense Department's Inspector General calls for an audit of air defenses across U.S. European Command, Stars and Stripes reported. The plan also includes a review of whether U.S. Army Garrison Black Sea in Romania meets the command's requirements. A related review will look at gaps in how well the military's counter-drone systems work together. The plan does not name specific installations or say whether problems prompted the reviews.stripes.com

NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said the alliance had "already strengthened our posture along the eastern flank, including with counter-drone capabilities," Reuters reported. Even so, the ships kept getting hit after the announcement.reuters.com