skip to main content

Ukraine conflict: Norwegian F-35s scrambled to protect Polish airspace

By Gareth Jennings |

A file photo of two Norwegian F-35As of the kind that were scrambled from Poland on 15 January in response to a Russian missile attack on western Ukraine. (Royal Norwegian Air Force)

Royal Norwegian Air Force (RoNAF) Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) jets based in Poland were scrambled as part of a wider response to a massive Russian missile attack on western Ukraine on 15 January.

Norwegian national media first reported the event, saying that two of the four RoNAF F-35As that have been stationed in Poland since early December 2024 were launched in response to the Russian cruise missile attack.

“We can confirm that two Norwegian F-35s have been flying last night, in Polish airspace,” a spokesperson for the RoNAF said, adding, “The Norwegian F-35 aircraft have been in the air in connection with the war in Ukraine, to protect Polish airspace as part of NATO.” Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces noted that the RoNAF F-35s were scrambled as part of a wider activation of all available air- and ground-based defence systems.

The Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) scramble was the first officially acknowledged ‘real-world' launch of the RoNAF F-35As in Poland since they arrived in-country on 2 December 2024. The Norwegian jets, along with National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) units, are responsible for safeguarding the airspace over NATO's key hub for equipment transfers to Ukraine at Rzeszów Airport in eastern Poland. These assets will remain in place through to 20 April 2025.

For more information on the RoNAF F-35A deployment to Poland, please see Ukraine conflict: Norwegian F-35s, NASAMS take on air defence of Polish hub for Ukraine.

Looking to read the full article?

Gain unlimited access to Janes news and more...