NATO Eastern Sentry Mission Kicks Off with UK Typhoon Jets Over Poland

British Typhoon jets conducted their first NATO air defense patrol over Poland on September 19 during the night as part of the Eastern Sentry mission, the UK government told Reuters on September 21.

The sortie follows Russian drone incursions into Polish airspace earlier this month and signals NATO’s commitment to defending its skies, UK Defense Minister John Healey told Reuters.

The jets returned safely to the UK early Saturday.

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UK Air Chief Marshal Harv Smyth added that the RAF remains “agile, integrated, and ready to project airpower at range.”

The UK plans to raise defense spending to 2.6% of GDP by April 2027, signaling to the US that it is committed to strengthening European security.

This comes as President Trump has criticized European countries for underinvesting in defense and depending heavily on the United States, Reuters writes.

The operation comes amid heightened tensions, with Estonia reporting that three Russian jets briefly violated its airspace last week.

Previously, Czech President Petr Pavel had stated that NATO should respond with military measures, including the downing of aircraft, when Russian planes violate allied airspace.

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