French fighter jets were deployed to intercept Russian aircraft that were suspected to be heavily armed and approached NATO airspace. The Russian planes were seen near Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia over the Baltic Sea, prompting authorities to dispatch four Rafale B fighters in an enhanced Air Policing Mission. The operation was conducted from Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania, where France leads NATO’s air policing efforts.
Footage released by the French military depicted Rafale fighter jets monitoring a Su-30SM fighter and a Russian Il-20M electronic intelligence aircraft. Analysts speculated that these aircraft might have been outfitted with Kh-31P or Kh-31PM anti-radiation missiles, typically used against radar and air defense systems. The French Rafales reportedly utilized Thales Talios targeting pods during the operation.
Although primarily intended for attack missions, these systems have long-range visual identification capabilities, enabling pilots to assess potential threats remotely. These activities are part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, which aims to safeguard Baltic airspace integrity.
In a separate incident, NATO jets were also scrambled following Russian strikes near Ukraine, including attacks on ports in the Odesa region close to NATO territory in Romania. The Romanian Air Force launched two F-16 aircraft from the 86th Air Base in Fetești, with air defense systems placed on standby. Additional drones moving towards Izmail, Ukraine, were detected, prompting further alerts.
This website and its partners use cookies and other identifiers to enhance user experience, analyze site usage, and display personalized advertising. Users can opt out of data sharing by clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button. By using the site and services, users agree to the cookie usage and privacy practices outlined in the Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.
