Beginning on September 1, the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s fifth-generation fighters will assume responsibility for monitoring NATO airspace over Eastern Europe. The air police mission will ensure that supply lines within Poland, which provide military aid to Ukraine, are protected. The RNAF’s Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIs will further defend the international military alliance’s eastern flank. The mission will be coordinated with Norway, another NATO operator of the F-35.

The NATO F-35 Jets Will Protect Poland All Day, Every Day

The Dutch and Norwegian multirole stealth fighters will be based in Poland and are set to arrive in late August, carrying out the mission until December 1. The aircraft and its pilots will be tasked with “quick reaction alert” duties, meaning that the warplane will be ready for action 24/7 during the deployment to intercept any possible intruders in NATO airspace while also responding to other aerial threats.

“It is essential that we make our contribution to the defense of NATO territory and the security of Europe,” the Netherlands Minister of Defense, Ruben Brekelmans, said in a statement. “We do this again........

© The National Interest