British fighters begin an air defense mission for NATO over Poland
Agencies – London:
The British government announced that its fighters carried out the first NATO air defense sortie over Poland as part of the “eastern guard” mission of the Alliance, which aims to enhance the defenses of the Western coalition in the wake of a Russian incursion with the March plane this month.
Defense Secretary John Heili said in a statement that the mission, which was announced by the British government on Monday, following the incursions into the Polish air fields, sends “a clear message: the airspace of NATO will be defended.”
Two Typhoon aircraft belonging to the British Royal Air Force took off from a military base in eastern England on Friday evening to take patrols in the sky of Poland, deter Russian air threats and address any threats, including drones, according to the statement, which added that the two planes returned peacefully to the United Kingdom on Saturday morning.
The British government announced that this comes in response to the “most dangerous violation” of the airspace of NATO by Russian President Vladimir Putin so far since his unlawful and unlawful war in Ukraine.
The Chief of Staff of the Royal Air Force, Marshal Harf Smith, said that the British aircraft joined the allies along the eastern wing of NATO, adding, “We are … ready to deploy the air force at long distances.”
The UK government has pledged to increase defense spending to 2.6 percent of GDP by April 2027, referring to US President Donald Trump that Britain is able to help enhance Europe’s security.
Trump has criticized European countries for not spending enough to defense and adopt them instead on the United States.
The UK mission over Poland comes in light of the escalation of tension elsewhere in Europe, where Estonia, a NATO member, announced on Friday that three Russian military aircraft violated their air field for 12 minutes.
“The reckless and dangerous activity of Russia is the third violation of the NATO air field in recent days.”
