An American spy plane, belonging to the US Navy, carried out a 7-hour intelligence mission off the coast of Libya, after departing from a US base south of Crete. The Lockheed EP-3E Aries II plane was spotted on Tuesday morning performing an irregular mission off the coasts of Tripoli, and western Libya.
Despite attempts by Maltese authorities to track the plane, the US Navy activated its S-MODE tracking system. This caused the plane to disappear from Maltese radar systems, according to ItaMilRadar, a website specializing in monitoring military aircraft movements over Italy and the Mediterranean.
The plane is a specialized aircraft used by the US Navy to gather intelligence information. It is equipped with a variety of advanced equipment for intercepting and analyzing electronic signals, including encrypted communications between individuals and electronic signals.
The plane is often used in reconnaissance missions in areas of interest to the US military, including conflict zones and areas suspected of terrorist activity. It is likely that the mission off the coast of Libya is part of the US efforts to monitor and gather information about the situation in the region.
Notably, US President, Joe Biden submitted to Congress 10-Year Plans aimed at implementing US strategies to prevent conflict and promote stability across six nations, including Libya, according to a statement issued by the White House on Friday.
The plan orients US efforts toward the ultimate long-term political goal that Libya is “governed by a democratically elected, unified, representative, and internationally recognized authority that is able to ensure human rights, deliver public services, promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, secure its borders, and partner with the United States and international community on shared priorities.”
However, the plan acknowledges the need for an “incremental, tailored, and scalable approach, given the current national-level political uncertainties, and practical limitations for US engagement and assistance within Libya.”
In the near term, the plan focuses on a “grass-roots, localized approach to support citizen-responsive democratic local governance, and nascent but promising locally-led reconciliation initiatives.” Southern Libya is the focal point of initial sequenced efforts which incrementally build toward progress in all three major regions of Libya, and ultimately through the critical sub-regions of the Sahel and Coastal West Africa.