FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Two Italian F-35 jets have intercepted Russian fighter jets. The incident occurred in Estonia, as part of the NATO Air Patrol mission. "For the first time, two Italian F-35 jets have been scrambled in Estonia in response to Russian aircraft as part of a NATO air patrol mission. The Italian Air Task Force, a detachment of the 32nd Wing at Ämari Air Base, is on rapid alert 24/7, demonstrating the Alliance's commitment to protecting NATO airspace," NATO Air Command wrote in X.
The two Italian aircraft took off in QRA (quick response alert) mode to identify an Antonov An-12 with its transponder off and no flight plan, en route to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad over international waters in the Baltic Sea.
The Italian detachment, made up of F-35s from the 13th Squadron of the 32nd Wing in Amendola, is deployed to Estonia to ensure surveillance of the Baltic airspace. The Ämari base, located about 20 miles from Tallinn, hosts NATO contingents engaged in the collective defense of the region on a rotational basis.
"We are on rapid alert 24 hours a day," declared the Alliance Air Command, emphasizing how the deployment demonstrates the Allies' commitment to protecting their eastern borders.
Italy has previously participated in the Air Policing mission with Eurofighter and F-35s deployed to Iceland, but this is the first time that the fifth-generation aircraft have operated in the skies of the Baltic.
For the first time two ???????? F-35s scramble from ???????? in response to ???????? aircraft under NATO's Air Policing mission
— NATO Air Command (@NATO_AIRCOM) August 13, 2025
The ???????? Task Force Air - 32nd Wing detachment at Ämari Air Base ???????? are on Quick Reaction Alert 24/7 demonstrating the Alliance's commitment to safeguarding NATO airspace pic.twitter.com/pnM0CRowo1
Lini një Përgjigje