The Hague, 14 Feb. Two Dutch F-35 fighters intercepted three Russian planes near Poland and remotely escorted them out of the country’s airspace, the Dutch Defense Ministry said.
The two fighters took off after the activation of the Dutch rapid action alert in Poland and they did so to identify and escort a formation of aircraft unknown at the time, according to the statement from the Dutch Ministry of Defense. , which specifies that the incident took place this “early” Monday.
One of these planes, he explained, “approached the Polish NATO area of responsibility from Kaliningrad”, which is a Russian enclave located between Poland and Lithuania.
“After their identification, it turned out that they were 3 aircraft: a Russian IL-20M Coot-A which was accompanied by 2 SU-27 Flankers”, specified the Dutch Ministry of Defense on its site. Internet.
He added that “Dutch F-35s escorted the (Russian) formation from a distance and handed over the escort to NATO partners.”
Currently, there are eight Dutch F-35s in Poland for the months of February and March. Four of these fighters are available at Malbork Air Base (Poland) for NATO airspace surveillance in Eastern Europe.
The other four fighter jets are completing a training program with the allies, but “can also be used immediately if the situation requires it”, the note concludes.