Royal Air Force Typhoons have been scrambled more than 20 times in support of NATO’s Enhanced Air Policing (EAP) efforts under Operation Chessman, a major British contribution to defending allied airspace on Europe’s eastern flank.
Operating from the 22nd Tactical Air Base in Malbork, Poland, the RAF’s 2 (AC) Squadron has led the UK detachment since deploying in March 2025.
According to personnel involved in the operation, over 460 flying hours have been logged from the Polish base, equivalent to circling the globe ten times. These sorties have included live Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) intercepts as well as multinational training exercises with 13 NATO allies, including Exercise Hedgehog in Estonia and Exercise Atlantic Trident in Finland.
RAF air and ground crews, engineers, logisticians, and specialists from across the service have supported the operation. Warrant Officer Grimshaw-Else, Deployed Operating Base Warrant Officer, explained that the mission involved 194 deployed personnel and praised the teamwork involved in sustaining continuous operations.
He noted that “the aircraft have been housed in rapid deployable shelters built by 5001 Squadron,” and highlighted the role of 90 Signals Unit in establishing secure and resilient communications. “We facilitated the transfer of over 60 terabytes of data and laid more than two kilometres of cabling,” added Corporal Chris Tyrie, supporting both UK and Swedish forces.
The RAF has worked closely with Sweden to refine cross-servicing procedures, including refuelling and aircraft maintenance using Swedish personnel. Squadron Leader Wilkie, the Senior Engineer Officer on 2 (AC) Squadron, called this “a great opportunity to work with other nations,” and said it had enhanced interoperability and deployment readiness.
Support units included 93 Squadron (armament storage), General Engineering Flight, deployed medical staff, and logistics specialists from 501 Squadron RAUXAF. “Whether it’s fuel, freight, or spare parts, our job is to keep things moving,” said Air Specialist (Class 1) Dan Oakford.
Air and Space Operations Specialist Izzy Doherty reflected on the deployment as both operationally valuable and personally fulfilling. “Overall, this has been a successful air policing operation for NATO,” she said.
Operation Chessman underscores the UK’s ongoing commitment to NATO’s collective defence posture, especially in the air domain. The mission was carried out under NATO’s long-standing Enhanced Air Policing framework, designed to deter and respond to threats near alliance borders.
Good to see some of the lesser known RAF support elements get a mention. We talk of the Army CS and CSS often enough. The RAF is no different.