The American publication Military Watch Magazine has analyzed footage of a Russian Su-35 fighter intercepting a U. S. Navy P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft over the Black Sea.

According to the authors, the video taken from the Russian aircraft confirms that the American plane was equipped with the new AN/APS-154 radar system mounted under the fuselage.

The radar’s radome is attached beneath the fuselage and can be lowered with a special mechanism to provide maximum coverage. This system allows U.S. reconnaissance planes to track moving targets both at sea and on land, while also producing high-resolution imagery at night and in difficult weather conditions.

A distinctive feature of the AN/APS-154, the magazine notes, is its ability to simultaneously scan land and maritime areas. This enables the aircraft not only to survey coastal zones but also to track submarines and surface vessels.

Military Watch Magazine emphasized that the U.S. operates roughly 125 P-8 Poseidon aircraft, which are regularly used for reconnaissance flights over the Black Sea. However, it remains unclear how many of them are currently fitted with the new radar system.