UK Fighter Jets Begin NATO Air Defence Mission Over Poland
WARSAW, Poland – The United Kingdom has deployed fighter jets to poland as part of a strengthened NATO air defence mission, the Ministry of Defence announced today. The move reinforces the alliance’s presence in Eastern Europe amid heightened tensions following russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
the deployment includes Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, and personnel from various RAF squadrons. they will work alongside Polish and German forces, contributing to the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission and enhancing the alliance’s ability to monitor and respond to potential threats in the region.
This comes as tensions remain high following recent airspace violations. Earlier this week, three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets breached Estonian airspace, remaining there for 12 minutes according to Estonian Foreign Minister. Russian pilots ignored signals from Italian jets responding from NATO’s Baltic air Policing Mission during the violation, a senior Estonian military official said on saturday. Russia’s Defence Ministry denied the violation, claiming its jets flew over neutral waters, a claim dismissed by Estonian officials who cited radar and visual confirmation.
Colonel Ants Kiviselg, commander of Estonia’s Military Intelligence Center, stated, “Why they didn’t do it, that’s a question for the Russian pilots.” He also noted the russian jets “must have known that they are in [Estonian] airspace” and did not pose a “military threat.”
NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission was established in 2004 to safeguard the airspace of its Baltic member states - Estonia, Latvia, and lithuania – which lack their own self-reliant air defence capabilities. The mission involves rotating deployments of fighter aircraft from various NATO member nations.
