Acting on Allied intelligence reports of a Russian armored vehicle column transiting toward the port city of Poti on the Black Sea coast, strike aircraft of the famed VFA-41 'Black Aces' squadron were dispatched to locate and stop the military reinforcements. The convoy was located and attacked with laser-guided bombs, destroying several vehicles and halting the rest. A Russian surface-to-air (SAM) battery was also reportedly put out of commission as a secondary objective. One F/A-18 Hornet was confirmed lost to enemy ground fire, with the remaining aircraft recovering safely aboard USS Harry S. Truman. Navy Public Affairs published a statement HERE. |