An alleged US spy plane breached the airspaces of Uganda and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) last month, according to Ugandan media. According to the outlet, a Bombardier Challenger 604 aircraft flew over Kasese and Bundibugyo in Uganda and Beni in the DRC. The aircraft, with the tail number N9191, is leased by the US Department of Defense and is used for surveillance, the outlet added.
The violations of Uganda’s airspace were recorded by the country’s radar stations on three occasions — on 14, 15 and 26 November, Uganda’s defense ministry spokesperson, Brig Felix Kulayigye, confirmed. “It is true and the matter is being handled at the highest level,” Kulayigye stated.
The US military uses Bombardier Challenger business jets for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions. Bombardier’s large-cabin business jets are also used for Electronic Warfare (EW) and Airborne Early Warning (AEW) missions.
The Bombardier Challenger 604 is a jet that was introduced in 1996 as an upgrade to the Challenger 601. It has a cabin that can accommodate up to 12 passengers and can fly non-stop for up to eight hours. The Challenger 604 was produced from 1995 to 2006, and was later replaced by the 605. It is based out of Djibouti, which houses a US Navy base.
The US Defence Attaché’s Office in Kampala had sought permission for the aircraft to transport personnel and cargo to the DRC. However, a probe was ordered after it never landed at its destination and was spotted making “suspicious maneuvers” in both the countries’ airspaces, Kampala Post wrote. The “US controllers of the spy aircraft did not bother to even ask the DRC for permission to enter their airspace,” the outlet wrote. “Instead, it was the Ugandan air traffic controllers who notified the understandably enraged DRC air traffic controllers.” Both Uganda’s President and the Chief of Military Staff have reportedly been apprised of the matter and the aircraft’s earlier authorization has been revoked.
A spokesperson for the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) sent a statement to the Ugandan media, saying the aircraft “deviated from an approved flight path” and did not engage in surveillance. AFRICOM further said it was working with Ugandan authorities to ensure that “no further flight path errors occur.” While the US defense attaché’s office in Kampala had in October requested overflight permission from the country’s army, claiming that the flights were designed to transport equipment and personnel to the DRC, AFRICOM has failed to explain why the US plane did not land in DRC as planned. The Bombardier CL-604 maritime surveillance aircraft has reportedly been used in several spying operations, including in the disputed South China Sea. It is also known to have some of the most modern technology and could therefore not deviate from the approved flight path.