The government of Norway has announced that Norwegian pilots stationed near Poznań starting in October will be prepared to shoot down Russian drones and aircraft if they violate Polish airspace. The final decision to use weapons will rest with NATO command, it was emphasized.
“The North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) has issued a warning to Russia not to escalate the situation. However, our mission in Poland will primarily focus on defending NATO territory against aerial threats. We will be ready to intercept any objects violating Polish airspace,” said Norwegian Deputy Minister of Defense Andreas Flaam.
He stressed that the commander of NATO allied forces in Europe will decide in each case which measures to take.
It was noted that NATO command has a wide range of tools to prevent provocations in the air.
“We have intensified surveillance and deterrence on the Alliance’s eastern flank. The military presence of allied forces in countries bordering Russia has significantly increased,” the deputy minister added.
Earlier this week, during a visit to Warsaw, Norwegian Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik pointed out that the mission of Norwegian F-35 fighter jets would be to defend the skies. In his view, the very presence of the allied contingent should serve as a preventive and deterrent measure against further provocations by the Kremlin.
The F-35 fighter jets of the Royal Norwegian Air Force that are set to arrive in Poland in the coming days will be the second such mission this year. The previous operation began in January and continued through the summer.