Operation Chessman Begins: RAF Intercepts Russian Plane Near NATO Airspace

2025-04-21 07:53:47

(MENAFN) British Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter aircraft recently intercepted a pair of Russian planes operating close to NATO airspace, the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on Sunday.

The MoD explained that two RAF Typhoon jets were scrambled from Malbork Air Base in Poland on Tuesday to intercept a Russian Ilyushin Il-20M "Coot-A," an intelligence gathering aircraft, over the Baltic Sea. Subsequently, on Thursday, another duo of Typhoons from the same Polish base was dispatched to intercept an unidentified aircraft that departed from Kaliningrad's airspace and was heading towards the area covered by NATO airspace.

These were the RAF's initial operations as part of Operation Chessman. This deployment follows the recent positioning of British aircraft in eastern Poland, a move intended to strengthen NATO's defensive posture on its eastern flank, with support from Sweden.

Notably, this occasion was also the first instance of Sweden providing fighter support for another NATO nation's air policing activities since becoming a member of the alliance in 2024.

The MoD stated that Britain has stationed six Typhoon jets and approximately 200 personnel to support NATO's ongoing air policing initiatives.

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