The UK will send Typhoon fighter jets to Poland to take part in NATO’s new Eastern Sentry mission, following what officials described as the most serious violation of alliance airspace by Russia to date.
The Ministry of Defence said the aircraft, operating from RAF Coningsby and supported by Voyager refuelling tankers from Brize Norton, will begin patrols in the coming days. They will join Danish F-16s, French Rafales and German Eurofighters in an effort to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank against growing aerial threats.
The decision comes after multiple Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace on 10 September, prompting Warsaw to trigger consultations under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty. A further incident saw another drone breach Romanian airspace over the weekend.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Russia’s reckless behaviour is a direct threat to European security and a violation of international law, which is why the UK will support NATO’s efforts to bolster its eastern flank through Eastern Sentry. These aircraft are not just a show of strength, they are vital in deterring aggression, securing NATO airspace, and protecting our national security and that of our allies.”
Defence Secretary John Healey called the move a signal of allied unity. “Russia’s actions are reckless, dangerous, and unprecedented. They only serve to strengthen the unity of NATO. Just as we stand with Ukraine, we will stand with our Polish NATO allies in the face of Russian aggression.” He added that Typhoons would help “deter Russian aggression and, where needed, defend NATO’s airspace, making Britain secure at home and strong abroad.”
According to the MOD, the deployment is part of a broader push to strengthen NATO’s posture following repeated airspace violations in Poland, Romania, and the Baltic states. The UK emphasised that the additional missions will not impact its Quick Reaction Alert duties defending British airspace.
The government also linked the move to its wider defence spending commitments. Ministers reiterated that defence investment will rise to 2.6 percent of GDP by 2027, which they argue is necessary to meet what they call a “new era of threat.”
When will we be ordering new aircraft for the reduced RAF?
When will anything be ordered beyond a new supply of proper clips.
This is getting a bit silly really.
The thing is there are 22 Spanish tranche 2s going cheap.. 22 of those would do the RAF a treat.
Putin always pushing is Luck .Has for Defence Secretary John Healey take a leaf out of other NATO members and order some new Typhoons 🙄
I would first grab those 22 tranche 2 s from Spain as a short term boost.. then maybe order some new ones.
When will Russia’s ‘reckless actions’ become acts of war?
NATO’s response has been tested, and political will was found wanting – these ‘incidents’ will continue until eNATO gives Putin a bloody nose. There are only so many words to condemn actions, eventually action must be taken. All the better before Russia are truly on the front foot and galvanized.
UK and European leadership is so, so weak. This behaviour must be punished, not decried.
Problem is at what point it is open war? Israel and ussr have been at war (20 000 soviets took part in the war of attrition) but what would be the trigger to bomb russian troops in Belarus?
Interesting, not deploying to Poland but operating from home base.
But Starmer and Healey got their tough words in. Tick.
And the 2.6% cobblers.
Why won’t a journalist correct the Ministers with the details of what was included previously, and what they’ve shoved into it since:
Chagos payments.
Afghan payments.
SIA, around 4 to 5 billion i recall.
Ukraine money.
SSN dismantling.
Plus all the DNE stuff thats been in there years.
You fool nobody.
It will be interesting to do a like for like comparison over the years and predicted from about 2000 to see exactly where we we’re going to be with defence spending
The BBC say they will operate from coningsby supported by voyager refueling. That’s 1000 miles each way to get on station