F-35A fighters of the Royal Netherlands Air Force have made their first interceptions of Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea.

The Dutch Ministry of Defense reported on this.

Dutch fighter jets began patrolling the airspace of NATO’s eastern flank in early December.

The fighter jets are reported to have taken to the air twice on a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) signal. This signal is activated when unidentified aircraft approach NATO airspace.

During the first flight, two Russian aircraft were identified and escorted: Su-24MR and An-72, and during the second flight — IL-20.

F-35A fighter jets escorted the aircraft over international waters to the edge of NATO’s area of responsibility. Both incidents took place on December 6, 2024.

These flights were the first of their kind in the history of the Dutch F-35A fleet.

“That is why our people are there: to protect our common airspace from Russian threats. As Friday showed again, Russian forces are active near NATO airspace in many ways. Our allies in the Baltic states welcome our deployment. I am proud of our people who immediately demonstrated their value to our security,” said Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans.

Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea

Russian aircraft are actively flying over the Baltic Sea without transponders on and without submitting flight plans, which creates dangerous situations for civil aviation.

Such flights are aimed at reconnaissance, provocation, and demonstration of force.

As Militarnyi previously reported, on September 20 and 21, six Russian planes were identified over the Baltic Sea region with their transponders turned off.

Since the Baltic states have limited aviation capabilities, NATO is implementing the Baltic Air Policing mission to protect their airspace.

As part of this mission, NATO fighter jets are based in the Baltic States on a rotational basis and perform air policing tasks.