Royal Air Drive Hurricane fighter jets have begun NATO air defence missions over Poland, underscoring Britain’s position in deterring Russian provocations on the Alliance’s japanese flank.
As first reported by the UK Defence Journal, two Typhoons launched from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire on Friday night, supported by a Voyager tanker, to patrol Polish skies.
British fighter jets deploy in a single day to defend Poland
The sortie fashioned a part of NATO’s Jap Sentry mission, created after Russian drones violated Polish sovereign airspace earlier this month in what NATO referred to as essentially the most severe breach of Alliance airspace for the reason that begin of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Ministry of Defence has now confirmed the mission, with the jets returning to the UK within the early hours of Saturday. Officers confused this was solely the start of sustained operations to bolster the Alliance’s deterrence posture.
Defence Secretary John Healey stated: “RAF Typhoons have now flown their first air defence mission over Poland, sending a transparent sign: NATO airspace might be defended. I’m happy with the excellent British pilots and air crew who took half on this profitable operation to defend our Allies from reckless Russian aggression.”
The missions come because the UK marks the eighty fifth anniversary of the Battle of Britain, a reminder of shared historical past with Poland, whose pilots flew alongside the RAF in 1940. Now, British jets stand watch over Poland within the face of a brand new menace from Russia.
Chief of the Air Employees, Air Chief Marshal Harv Smyth, added: “Our partnership with NATO has by no means been stronger. This sortie marks the RAF’s first operational mission on Jap Sentry, reinforcing the UK’s steadfast dedication to NATO and its allies. We stay agile, built-in, and able to venture airpower at vary.”
Geared up with superior sensors and ASRAAM missiles, the Typhoons are well-suited to detect and intercept aerial threats reminiscent of drones or Russian fighter plane. The operation is a part of Britain’s wider position in NATO, from the everlasting Military presence in Estonia to rotational deployments in Romania.
By visibly projecting airpower into Jap Europe, the RAF’s patrols intention to remind Moscow that its testing of NATO’s borders might be met with fast and credible responses.