NATO stealth jets intercept Russian military aircraft

For the first time, two Italian Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighters scrambled from Ämari Air Base, Estonia, in response to Russian aircraft under NATO’s Air Policing mission.

The intercept marks a significant operational milestone for the Italian contingent deployed in the Baltic region.

The scramble was carried out by the Italian Task Force Air – 32nd Wing detachment, which is on Quick Reaction Alert 24/7. Operating from Ämari, the detachment demonstrates NATO’s commitment to safeguarding Allied airspace and maintaining readiness on its eastern flank.

A NATO statement emphasised that the mission underscores the Alliance’s ability to respond rapidly to potential incursions. The Air Policing mission is designed to preserve the integrity of NATO airspace and reassure member states in the face of increased Russian military activity near Alliance borders.

Within NATO, air policing is a collective and purely defensive mission, carried out using member nations’ fighter aircraft on quick reaction alert. The system relies on a network of radar sites, control centres and Combined Air Operations Centres, which together form the NATO Integrated Air Defence System. This network ensures constant 24/7 surveillance and the ability to respond within seconds to potential airspace incidents.

Member states without their own fast-jet air defence capability are covered by other Allies. Luxembourg’s airspace is protected by Belgian fighters, Slovenia’s by Italian aircraft, and Albania’s by Italian and Greek jets. The Baltic States have been covered since joining NATO in 2004, with rotations initially from Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania and, from 2014, also from Ämari Air Base in Estonia. Deployments generally involve four fighters and 50–100 support personnel.

To maintain readiness and standardise procedures across nations, NATO runs the Ramstein Alloy training series, building on experience from Baltic Region Training Events. These exercises involve both deployed Allied aircrews and the air forces of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, ensuring the mission is conducted professionally and safely while reinforcing Alliance solidarity on NATO’s north-eastern flank.