Late Monday night, Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets were again deployed to conduct air defence patrols over eastern Poland, marking just one of many short-notice sorties under NATO’s Eastern Sentry framework in recent weeks.

According to flight tracking data, Typhoons and a Voyager tanker launched from RAF Coningsby before flying east to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank amid previous Russian airspace incursions near the borders of Poland and the Baltic states.

The aircraft remained on station for several hours before returning to the UK in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

NATO officials confirmed that the mission formed part of the alliance’s ongoing measures to deter further violations following a series of Russian manoeuvres along the frontier, including drone crossings into Polish territory and close intercepts over the Baltic.

The renewed patrols follow a similar deployment last week after Russian MiG-31s entered Estonian airspace in what Tallinn described as an “unprecedentedly brazen” incursion.

The UK’s latest sortie underscores a sustained readiness to reinforce allies at short notice. Under Eastern Sentry, the alliance has positioned a multinational quick reaction force across the region, with Germany, Denmark, France and the United States among those contributing aircraft and crews.

The repeated launches reflect NATO’s growing emphasis on rapid deterrence and visible presence along its eastern frontier.

George Allison
George Allison is the founder and editor of the UK Defence Journal. He holds a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and specialises in naval and cyber security topics. George has appeared on national radio and television to provide commentary on defence and security issues. Twitter: @geoallison

53 COMMENTS

  1. Just a suggestion: but can we please refrain from the word “scramble” if it is not actually a QRA? Just take-off will be fine lol.

  2. We should forward base a few Squadrons in Poland and a few more in all the other Border Countries like Finland, Norway, Alaska, Belarus and Mongolia with say 20 Squadrons in Germany, That’ll show them pesky russians.

  3. Flying from RAF Coningsby to Poland? Seems like a waste of time and fuel, why would they not just forward deploy them instead?

    • Or NATO could have used one of the other 3000 odd European fighter/interceptor jets that are closer to hand. I think this is just to show solidarity with Poland and for that purpose the cost of forward deploying probably outweighs the extra fuel. I think the Dutch air force are the current rotationally deployed unit Poland.

      • I would say it’s more about deterrent actions..defence is all very well but defence never deterred anyone from anything.. but knowing another nation can reach out and cause you harm, that’s a deterrent. What this does is it essentially sticks UK based typhoons in an area they could strike Russian infrastructure from. They spent hours over the AO.. that’s not really that relevant defensively.. but it’s very relevant offensively.

    • Scamble is a bit optimistic. Poland has plenty of it’s own jets to defend itself in an emergency with a russian drone. More like routine patrol that was already in polish skies

      • I don’t know what ‘scramble’ technically means in military parlance but to me it means some sort of rapid, unplanned flight, like a Quick Reaction Alert to deal with a potential threat. The description of the operation sounds like some sort standing patrol that was there just to be there and not for a particular incident. It does say that it was short notice but I suspect that this was a long planned, short notice deployment, lol.

        • I guess it might be that NATO is considering it’s far lower risk for an RAF jet to shoot down a russian one if needed Vs Poland doing it with their land border with Belarus, which is pretty much just a part of Russia at this point.

        • Correct. Unless there was prior intel Drones were incoming, a QRA launch from the UK will take time to get there with the reaction time.
          So this is likely to be more of a CAP, Combat Air Patrol, than a “scramble.”

    • Relative vulnerability on the ground I expect. Doing this demonstrates the ability to rapidly reinforce Eastern Europe from bases too far away to be easily degraded by a sneak attack.

  4. I am looking forward to the Integrated Air Defence plan for the UK which will be part of the soon to be announced defence industrial strategy.

  5. This is a really important display of why enablers are so important.. there is a message to Russia. The RAF typhoons can reach you from the UK.. if they can get to Poland and spend several hours in the OA they can reach out and touch Russian infrastructure with cruise missiles if Russia does something that step over the red line.

  6. Just quickly, it’s the 7th of October today the two year anniversary of a sad day for humanity and a victory for viciousness and hatred. Let’s remember all of the innocents lost to that hatred.

    • And the other side of the argument?

      Should you party in Russian lands, would you expect no repercussions?

      And Israel continued to encroach on lands that do not belong to them and terrorists took the opportunity to deliver Darwinism. Difficult subject but I shall remember the babies, infants and children killed by the inappropriately named IDefenceF.

      • I said “ALL” it makes me sick when people simply step over one set of suffering and go.. well they suffered more.. or even worse.. they deserve it.. no women deserves to be rapped no child purposely killed.

    • I agree – a tragic day for all those who lost their lives and loved ones.
      Sadly the Palestinian people will have 365 anniversary days remembering when they too have lost lives and loved ones so let’s not focus on one tragedy but on the suffering of everyone.

    • absolutely agreed, despite being a long-time believer in the palestinian cause, i can have no truck with the oct 7th pogrom, hamas must be ended by any means if lives are to be saved in the long run

  7. As per part of NATO collective defence! Show of support for Poland and a show of capability. Good job by the RAF as per, but it’s gonna impact other areas eventually due to the lack of platforms and depth on all areas. Also as an aside good to see the RAF thinking and planning about using dispersed airfields on the build up to war. There are plenty of locations to deploy a flight or more. Now let’s look at GBAD.

  8. Reason for not deploying Typhoons from Poland has probably got something to do with RAF top brass realising that if things turn hot we need to keep them back for our own defence ? What’s left of it.

  9. You always have to defend what’s right,Russia needs to look in its own backyard before incroching on other people’s space.

    • actually, it was nato that assured russia it wouldn’t encroach on their space

      would you like a reference, or do you prefer to ignore the roots of this war ?

  10. what an incredible waste of resources and money, posturing for the sake of it

    if only the warmongers would join up with the ukraine army, they’re deperate for recruit’s, let the rest of us live in peace

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