The Marinera continues heading by the Atlantic whereas watched by ISR plane and a USCG cutter. In the meantime, particular forces personnel prepare at Fairford, and a U.S. official tells WSJ {that a} Russian sub is lurking.
Footage launched to Russian state-owned information outlet RT from the Marinera, beforehand named Bella 1, has confirmed that U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) belongings have certainly pursued the evading oil tanker throughout the Atlantic. The sanctioned oil tanker was certain for Venezuela when U.S. forces tried to board – the crew refused to permit the boarding, and made a fast about flip to move out into the ocean. We reported additional on this saga beforehand, and regarded into lots of the actions that had to this point then taken place – in the event you learn this text and imagine it has left out some necessary factors, be sure you examine there first in case we had already coated it.
The Russian state has repeatedly known as on the U.S. and different events to cease their pursuit of the vessel, and stop any and all efforts to grab it. State-owned Russian information sources declare the crew includes Russian, Ukrainian, and Georgian nationals, and that the ship is empty and at the moment heading in direction of Murmansk.
We’re retweeting this as a respectable video as a result of we immediately acknowledge that eyesore of a rusty crane aboard the MARINERA.
— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) January 6, 2026
Primarily based on the video, the cutter concerned is likely one of the USCG’s ten energetic Legend class vessels, also referred to as the Nationwide Safety Cutter. This is a pretty big 4,700t kind of vessel, often crewed by round 113 personnel and boasting a helicopter deck and hangar, Mk 110 57mm naval gun, a Phalanx close-in weapons system, and numerous crew-served weapon emplacements. They’re additionally outfitted with digital warfare techniques, tactical datalinks, and 3D air search and floor search radars.
A USCG Legend Class cutter is chasing the now Russian-flagged oil tanker Bella 1 within the North Atlantic, with Russian media posting photographs of the cutter shadowing the tanker.
The US is reportedly planning to grab the ship after it tried to run the blockade off of Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/FXFIR6BOXE
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) January 6, 2026
The cutter’s presence does imply, as we talked about within the earlier article, there’s a pleasant deck far out at sea which could possibly be utilized in an emergency by rotary wing plane participating in any transfer in opposition to the tanker. That being stated, the Legend class’ flight deck shouldn’t be massive and wouldn’t be suited for use as a staging put up nor would it not be capable of cope if a couple of plane expertise a technical challenge or gasoline emergency. It may, although, present search and rescue (SAR) protection for these plane in case they wanted to ditch. The extent of SAR protection obtainable would rely on whether or not the cutter is carrying a helicopter or if it must rely solely on boats.
Alongside the cutter, a persistent effort by U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidons working from RAF Mildenhall, in addition to probably from their common ahead operation base (FOB) at Keflavik in Iceland, has undoubtedly been conserving watch from the skies. On Jan. 6, a Royal Air Power RC-135W Rivet Joint additionally flew a mission in direction of the North Atlantic – it’s not identified precisely what this mission was trying to collect intelligence on, although it may properly have been scanning for any potential radio emissions constructed from or to the tanker or any close by Russian vessels.
US Navy P-8s now flying nearly across the clock out of RAF Mildenhall, UK and Keflavik, Iceland. Some nice monitoring sources to observe alongside: @ADSBex @liveatc @MarineTraffic and @AirNavRadar The P-8s use the callsign construction beginning with 2 letters adopted by 3 numbers. The… pic.twitter.com/PbgqKZ2EoH
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) January 7, 2026
Even Irish Air Corps maritime patrol C-295s have flown a number of missions out in that path. The usage of Irish airspace by the U.S. P-8s has been famous by the Irish media, which has aroused controversy. Assurances had been even sought by an Irish air visitors controller dealing with one such plane that that they had certainly secured the correct diplomatic clearance (sometimes called ‘dips’). International army plane aren’t often permitted to make use of Irish airspace throughout energetic operations.
US Navy P-8A #PM064 can be now heading out into the Atlantic, as soon as once more overflying Eire with Shannon asking them to verify that they had diplomatic clearance.
168328 / #AE6892 pic.twitter.com/M3YftJWRlL
— EISNspotter (@EISNspotter) January 6, 2026
Talks between the UK and Europe are reportedly ongoing as the previous weighs whether or not to make be part of the U.S. in probably staging a direct intervention in opposition to the tanker. Whichever means the UK Authorities decides, it’s clear that the U.S. intends to make use of British soil to launch any operation, nonetheless requiring consent and subsequently tacit approval from the host nation.
A possible further purpose for the fixed presence of P-8s grew to become obvious when the Wall Road Journal revealed {that a} U.S. official had advised certainly one of their reporters {that a} Russian Navy submarine was thought to have been tasked to shadow and monitor the tanker. It’s unlikely that this submarine would make any direct try to intervene in any potential raid, although as one of many premier intelligence platforms obtainable to any nation it might have a transparent use in conserving tabs on the state of affairs with out attracting as a lot consideration as a floor vessel or plane.
Since runaway oil tanker MARINERA (previously BELLA 1) has grow to be a scorching matter on this platform, it’s value reiterating that the vessel isn’t carrying any oil cargo. It by no means docked in Venezuela; it got here from Iran. See map of its route over previous 7 months. pic.twitter.com/qLFkNlBRqW
— Christiaan Triebert (@trbrtc) January 6, 2026
From what may be gathered publicly, the tanker in query is operating with none cargo. Blocked from coming into Venezuela, it by no means picked up any cargo of oil. This makes the eye on it rather more attention-grabbing, each from the aspect of the U.S. in addition to from Russia. The ship switched its registry and flag to grow to be Russian mid-voyage in an apparent try to discourage interdiction. The query stays: what, if something, is the Marinera carrying to warrant such an enormous ocean-spanning operation to grab management of it?
The drama round this heap of scrap metallic is so extreme that it raises the likelihood that it’s carrying a cargo of Russian weapons from Iran initially destined for Venezuela.
— Oliver Alexander (@OAlexanderDK) January 7, 2026
Exercise at RAF Fairford
Although the stream of C-17s has slowed, RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, UK, has continued to be a hive of exercise. We will as soon as once more verify that there are 5 MH-60M Black Hawks and two MH-47G Chinooks on the bottom on the base – reviews on the precise numbers, particularly in mainstream media, have differed, however that is what has been seen and photographed on the bottom.
Whereas the Nightstalkers have remained quiet for the reason that single check flight by an MH-47G in the course of the night time shortly after their arrival, CV-22B Osprey tiltrotor plane from the seventh Particular Operations Squadron (SOS), 352nd Particular Operations Wing (SOW) at RAF Mildenhall have been extra energetic. On Jan. 6, certainly one of these Ospreys took half in an train with what seem to have been particular forces personnel.
Footage reveals insertion coaching underway at RAF Fairford, UK, probably indicating preparations for a boarding operation focusing on the crude oil tanker Marinera. pic.twitter.com/Vmfh4vnfPk
— GMI (@Global_Mil_Info) January 6, 2026
The train included the rehearsal of fastroping strategies in addition to the switch of provides by way of the rope, which drops from the rear of the plane close to the ramp. Within the video embedded above, as shared by International Mil Information, you cannot solely see a CV-22B arriving however three extra airframes parked within the background and a number of the quite a few C-17s.
As we theorized earlier than, based mostly on our present information of the operation the CV-22B, with its larger vary, velocity, and extra environment friendly capability to loiter, would look like the extra appropriate plane to make use of for any transfer in opposition to the Marinera in comparison with these flown by the Nightstalkers. As with the one hundred and sixtieth’s plane, the CV-22Bs may be refueled in midair by the 352nd SOW’s MC-130J Commando IIs, which may in flip be refueled by Mildenhall’s KC-135 Stratotankers.
Different Fascinating Actions
Each earlier than and after our earlier article, there have been quite a lot of different attention-grabbing plane actions into UK airfields which can be associated to present occasions. They weren’t reported in our earlier article as a consequence of house constraints, however we are going to go over a few of them right here.
Initially, as many have already famous, a U.S. Air Power C-40 visited RAF Fairford on Jan. 1, a few days earlier than the flurry of C-17s started to point out. This C-40 is painted in an not noticeable scheme that resembles a civilian government plane and carries not one of the normal massive, figuring out serial numbers on the outside. It’s believed to be 21-0024 (additionally N972BJ), and has been linked to clandestine operations. It routed to Fairford by way of Rota, Spain, earlier than which it had been within the U.S.
The C-40 into RAF Fairford in a single day caught by Tom earlier right this moment – no markings @SR_Planespotter @EISNspotter @Andyyyyrrrr
— Saint1 (@Saint1Mil) January 1, 2026
Away from the carefully watched RAF Fairford, at Bristol Airport, a nominally civilian-registered Gulfstream IV arrived after darkish on Jan. 4. This plane, N478GS, is formally registered to L-3 IS LLC. In principle a subsidiary of L3 Applied sciences, now a part of L3Harris, this particular firm is believed for use a shell for U.S. Authorities companies to register plane. N748GS has been alleged earlier than the European Court docket of Human Rights to be concerned in detainee rendition flights operated by the U.S. Central Intelligence Company (CIA).
L-3 IS LLC Gulfstream IV #N478GS is inbound to Bristol Airport from Norfolk. This plane has beforehand been linked to US Govt companies.
N478GS / #A5DF79 pic.twitter.com/JVv1a3xJwh
— EISNspotter (@EISNspotter) January 4, 2026
Although the primary thought upon studying which may have been that it had been positioned so as to transport detained crew members following a seizure of the Marinera, that is rapidly quashed by the plane getting back from Bristol to the U.S. the next day. It arrived at Bristol from Fayetteville Regional Airport (FAY) in South Carolina, and that is the very same vacation spot that it returned to. FAY has been linked by some, once more, to CIA operations.
Additionally positioned within the metropolis of Fayetteville is Fort Bragg, which, as we famous in earlier reporting, is a significant hub for U.S. Military particular forces models, together with the well-known Delta Power. As an alternative of getting used for detainees, then, may this flight have been used to move a small variety of personnel to what’s, comparatively, a way more inconspicuous and lesser watched airport?
Again at Fairford, the plane already talked about had been joined by each a C-295 and a C-146A Wolfhound on Jan. 6. Each of those plane are operated by Air Power Particular Operations Command (AFSOC). The C-295 flew from the U.S. as REACH 45, and the kind is operated in USAF service by the 427th Particular Operations Squadron at Pope Military Airfield (a part of the Fort Bragg advanced). The C-146 – the army designation for a Dornier 328, in the meantime, is a neighborhood customer.
Lately based mostly at RAF Mildenhall, the C-146’s objective was given on the time as offering a coaching plane for MC-130J crews in addition to having the ability to act as a extra discreet operational platform for inter-European missions which may contain touchdown at civilian airports. It arrived at Fairford from Mildenhall as DADDY 11 and spent only some minutes on the bottom earlier than departing north for RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. The precise objective of this go to is unclear.
It ought to be famous right here that one different plane that arrived at RAF Fairford on Jan. 6 was a U-2 Dragon Girl ‘spy airplane’. Whereas clearly an thrilling catch for the spotters gathered to regulate the airfield, the U-2 arrived at Fairford from Beale Air Power Base, California, on what was nearly actually a routine transit flight. Not solely was the plane lacking the distinctive externally mounted sensor and communications pods often seen on operational sorties, however the airframe’s arrival in snowy circumstances was even formally reported by the USAF 501st Fight Help Wing on social media.
Three U-2 plane are at the moment current at RAF Fairford, and the bottom is a standard stopover level for U-2s heading to and from operational bases additional east in addition to for U-2s flying real-world intelligence missions over Jap and Northern Europe.
