U.S. military aircraft were active in Mallorca airspace over the festive period overflying the island on their way to and from the U.S. base in Rota near Cadiz on the mainland. They included a Poseidon P8A, anti-submarine and spy aircaft.
The P-8 operates in anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) roles. It is armed with torpedoes, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and other weapons, can drop and monitor sonobuoys, and can operate in conjunction with other assets, including the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton maritime surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). It is also in service with the Royal Air Force.
Earlier this week a US Navy's P-8 Poseidon was spotted circling a drug-smuggling hub off Mexico's coast on Monday morning. Flight tracking websites spotted the aircraft conducting surveillance and reconnaissance operations miles offshore from Tijuana. The city has long been plagued by violent organized crime and is considered a major corridor for cartel operations.
Other aircraft which have overflown Mallorca include the veteran C130 Hercules transport plane which is used extensively by the U.S. military despite its age. The Hercules is probably one of the most successful ever transport aircraft.
The C130 was also operating out of La Rota and appeared to be on regular transport missions. Since December 23 at least three U.S. aircraft have overflown Mallorca according to plane spotting websites.