The United States military has visibly recommenced its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations in Nigerian airspace, with a specialized aircraft observed conducting daily flights over the notorious Sambisa Forest in Borno State. This development signals a renewed and active US military focus in the region, coming just days after American forces executed airstrikes against Islamic State-linked targets in Sokoto State.
Daily Flights Target ISWAP Stronghold
According to flight tracking data analyzed and shared on Saturday, December 28, 2025, the aircraft was monitored operating over parts of northeast Nigeria. This activity marks a clear return of US aerial surveillance missions after what appeared to be a brief operational pause following the Christmas Day strikes. Brant Philip, a Sahel-focused terrorism analyst, confirmed the mission's objective, stating on the social media platform X that the flights are specifically targeting the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
"The United States resumed ISR operations today on ISWAP in the Sambisa Forest, Borno State in north-east Nigeria, after a pause of one day following the strikes in Sokoto State," Philip wrote. ISWAP is the primary Islamic State affiliate operating in the Lake Chad Basin region, with Sambisa Forest long considered one of its key enclaves.
Gulfstream V Jet: The Eye in the Sky
The aircraft at the center of this resumed mission is identified as a Gulfstream V, a long-range business jet frequently modified for sensitive intelligence-gathering roles. Flight data links the aircraft's operator to Tenax Aerospace, a special mission aviation company known for its contracts with the US military on intelligence-related flights. Reports indicate this particular jet has been a near-daily presence in Nigerian skies since the surveillance campaign began in late November.
The operations are reportedly launched from a key logistics hub in Ghana, with the first recorded mission taking off on November 24, 2025. The intelligence gathered is said to focus not only on the movements and activities of militant groups within Nigeria but also on efforts to locate an American pilot who was kidnapped in the neighboring Niger Republic.
Context: High-Level Talks and Promise of Further Action
This escalation in US operational activity follows closely on the heels of high-level security discussions between Nigerian and American officials. Nigeria's National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, recently met with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington. The talks occurred amid explicit warnings from US President Donald Trump about potential direct military intervention against jihadist groups in Nigeria.
Following the meeting, Secretary Hegseth pledged that the United States would work "aggressively" with Nigeria to end what he described as the persecution of Christians by jihadist terrorists. The airstrikes in Sokoto on December 25 are seen as the first tangible execution of President Trump's warnings, with the President himself hinting that more strikes could be forthcoming.
The resumption of sophisticated surveillance over Sambisa is widely interpreted by security observers as a critical preparatory step for shaping future counter-terrorism operations. It provides the US and potentially Nigerian forces with real-time data on militant movements and hideouts. There are already unconfirmed reports from credible community leaders in northern Nigeria suggesting that suspected terrorists have begun relocating in small numbers following the Christmas Day missile strikes, underscoring the immediate impact of US military actions.
