Since the ship arrived in the North Atlantic, the US has sent several P-8 aircraft to keep it under surveillance. Under long-standing Irish policy, foreign military aircraft are not permitted to use Irish airspace while on active military operations. [ Irish military aircraft sent to monitor fleeing oil tankerOpens in new window ]Irish and US sources said permission had been sought for the flight at a Government level. He said the aircraft would have a “due regard” status, an aviation term often used by military aircraft to indicate they would be undertaking unusual operations. A Defence Forces spokesman said it does not comment on operations but said “when necessary, specific intelligence-led maritime defence and security operations are executed as a stand-alone operation”.

Source: The Irish Times January 06, 2026 07:31 UTC