A sensational incident in the Pacific: a Russian Il-38N maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft approached the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier “USS Carl Vinson” (CVN-70) at close range. The Il-38N was accompanied by US F/A-18F and F-35C fighter aircraft.

Although the Russian reconnaissance aircraft may have been intercepted, it apparently could not be pushed away.

In effect, the Il-38N crosses the Aerodrome Traffic Zone (ATZ) of the “USS Carl Vinson” – forcing the carrier to cease flight operations.
For safety reasons, neither take-offs nor landings can take place as long as other aircraft are in the immediate vicinity.

There is no internationally binding legal standard for this. The ATZ “travels” with the aircraft carrier, which operates in international waters. The Russian maritime patrol aircraft, on the other hand, operates in international airspace – a legally gray area.

©Military News

Although there are global rules for collision avoidance between ships and also between aircraft, there are no standardized aviation charts for aircraft carriers, whose ATZs are carried flexibly.

This becomes problematic when aircraft with low fuel supplies are in the air: They would have to land as a priority – but this would require clear airspace around the carrier. Alternatively, a tanker aircraft could take off to supply the aircraft in the air – but this also requires secure airspace.

03944 c Georg Mader
The “USS Carl Vinson” is the third ship of the Nimitz class. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier can carry a squadron of up to 90 aircraft. Militär Aktuell encountered the carrier in the Persian Gulf during “Enduring Freedom”.

Impressive performance of the Il-38N

The flight to Guam is undoubtedly a remarkable achievement for the Ilyushin Il-38N, which is now more than 50 years old. The “USS Carl Vinson” must have been in the Western Pacific at the time of the overflight.

The nearest Russian military airfield from which this aircraft could have taken off is near Vladivostok. From there, the flight passes through the Korea Strait in international airspace, south past Japan – around 4,000 kilometers to Guam. Further proof that Russian reconnaissance works.

The Ilyushin Il-38N flies up to 9,500 kilometers with a crew of up to twelve soldiers, including up to nine mission specialists. It can be armed with up to 9,000 kilograms of depth charges, mines, torpedoes, anti-ship missiles and sonar buoys.

The primary sensors consist of 360-degree sea and air surveillance radars and a magnetic anomaly detector for locating submarines.

Is the USA marching against Iran?

The “USS Carl Vinson” (CVN-70) is currently on its way to the Arabian Sea. On March 24, 2025, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier called at the island of Guam in the Western Pacific and left the harbor again on March 28.

The carrier battle group is now heading west to join the Carrier Strike Group of the “USS Harry S. Truman” in April in the area of responsibility of US Central Command (CENTCOM).

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth - ©Archive
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also arrived at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam on March 27, where he met with a number of senior US military leaders.

Meanwhile, the military presence in the Indian Ocean is growing: At the Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia several B-2 Spirit stealth bombers have arrived.

The existing four “B2SS” Extra Large Deployable Aircraft Hangar Systems are apparently no longer sufficient to accommodate all the aircraft. The latest satellite images from March 25 show three, and now possibly five, B-2 bombers standing unprotected in the open – a possible indication of an imminent large-scale air operation?

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has issued similarly harsh threats against Iran as he did against the Houthi rebels before the attack on Yemen. “I sent them a letter: Talk – or face bad, very bad things,” Trump said.

Experts sound the alarm

At least a third of all US B-2 stealth bombers – and probably around half of the operational aircraft – have been assembled at the remote US base of Diego Garcia. Never before has such a large number of these highly sensitive and currently irreplaceable aircraft been stationed in such an exposed location: right on the border of the 12-mile zone that separates the base from international waters. This inevitably raises the question: Why this massive concentration of firepower?

Generalleutnant Hofbauer: „Sky Shield ist keine Raketenabwehr“

Two carrier battle groups and a considerable number of the USA’s best strategic bombers – that is significantly more than would be necessary for limited air strikes against the Huthi in Yemen. Is Iran next in the Trump administration’s sights?

Iran is considered Israel’s arch-enemy – and Israel, in turn, is by far the closest ally of the USA under Donald Trump. In contrast to Ukraine or NATO-partners, Israel receives unrestricted support from the current US administration – without any public criticism from Washington.

Here for more news about the US armed forces.

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