What are two US Army spy planes doing over Lithuania?

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March 20, 2022

Thousands are watching two US Army spy planes – Beech RC-12Xs – over Lithuania.

According to the website Scramble, the US Army actively deploys the Beech RC-12X Guardrail to Lithuania where they conduct Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions along the border with Belarus and Kaliningrad. Kaliningrad is an Oblast federal subject and exclave of Russia located on the coast of the Baltic Sea.

The US Army Guardrails are operated in Lithuania from Siauliai Air Base.

The website says the RC-12X, is a Special Electronic Mission Aircraft that provides Aerial Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (AISR) capability. The systems are designed to provide timely, accurate, and tactical signal intelligence, or SIGINT, to commanders. Intelligence gathered during missions is sent back to analysts operating in-ground stations mostly outside hostile areas.

Here is the mission profile.

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