Italian Fighters Intercept Russian Aircraft Over Baltic in First-Ever Mission
Italian Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighters have carried out their first-ever interception over the Baltic Sea under NATO’s Air Policing mission, confronting Russian aircraft flying close to Alliance airspace.
The Gaze reports this, referring to Army Recognition.
On August 13, two F-35s from Italy’s 32nd Wing detachment at Ämari Air Base in Estonia scrambled to identify a Sukhoi Su-24 strike aircraft and a Sukhoi Su-27 air superiority fighter.
According to NATO Air Command, both Russian jets were operating without flight plans or active transponders associated with reconnaissance and probing missions.
The Su-27 bore markings of a Kaliningrad-based unit, and NATO assessments suggest the aircraft originated from forward-deployed assets in the exclave, enabling rapid incursions to test Allied reaction times.
This marks the first time Italian fifth-generation fighters have conducted an operational intercept in the Baltic, bringing advanced stealth, radar, and sensor capabilities to NATO’s Quick Reaction Alert network.
In addition to the immediate tactical role, the mission also offered valuable intelligence on Russian aerial behavior.
Italian F-35s join other NATO assets in maintaining a constant watch over the region, where Russian air activity has grown more frequent in recent months.
Similar encounters have been reported across NATO’s northern flank, including a July 22 operation in which U.S. F-35 and F-16 jets intercepted Russian Tu-95MS bombers and their fighter escorts in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone during a 15-hour mission over the Bering Sea.
Read more on The Gaze: The Baltics are Preparing for Defense Against Russia