F-35 Stealth Fighters Are Now in Poland

Last month, the Royal Netherlands Air Force declared that eight of its aircraft would be deployed. Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters Poland

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Four of the fighters will be employed to observe NATO’s eastern airspace.

At the same time, an additional four will be used in allied training programs to increase the international alliance’s presence on the eastern flank and to Encourage cooperation among its members.

“With eight fighter jets, the Netherlands contributes to the defense of NATO’s eastern flank,” The Dutch Ministry of Defense issued a statement.

F-35 Right on Russia’s Doorstep 

The aircraft arrived in Poland last Wednesday and will now take over NATO air police operations in the Baltic Sea region. In addition to the fighters and pilots, approximately 150 personnel from the Royal Netherlands Air Force also have been deployed to the Polish 22nd Tactical Air Base in Malbork, located approximately 60 km (37 miles) southeast of Gdansk – home for all of the Polish Air Force’s MiG-29 Fulcrums.

According to TheAviationist,, the Dutch military deployed its eight F-35 aircraft to Malbork with special tent hangars – erected jointly by 34 Dutch engineers supported by Polish personnel.

Ready and Operational

A formation of six F-35s performed their first training mission last week from the base. It was conducted under the direction of the Combined Air Operations Centre, Uedem (Germany), in collaboration the Polish Air Force.

“It is a great experience to deploy our advance fifth-generation jets here to Malbork,” Lieutenant Colonel Guido Schols was Commander of the Netherlands F-35 détachment.

“By sending eight F-35s, the Netherlands underline their commitment to collective security in the region and contribute to showing NATO presence in the air,” Schols was added. “Four of our jets are earmarked for the Air Policing mission and the other four will be available for training with our Allies. They can also be used immediately if the situation so requires.”

This is the This is the second year of this. The Netherlands has sent military personnel to the east flank of NATO territory. The 22nd Tactical Air Base is increasingly being used to host NATO partners. In the last year, there have been Turkish, Italian and Portuguese jets stationed at the base to assist with the Baltic Air Policing mission (BAP).

F-35 Guarding NATO’s Flank

It was last March, following Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, that U.S. Air Force F-35s were also deployed in the region. A dozen F-35As belonging to the 34th Fighter Squadron were flown out of Hill Air Force Base (AFB), Utah. They arrived at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany on February 16, 2022 as Russian forces continued their build-up near the border of Ukraine.

Those aircraft then operated out of Romania’s 86th Air Base, which is less than 100 miles from the Ukrainian border. Additional F-35s of the U.S. were sent to Estonia and Lithuania. 

It is possible that U.S. fighters may be returned to the region in spring.

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Expertise and Author Experience: Peter Suciu is a senior editor at 19FortyFive and a Michigan-based author. He is a former editor for 19FortyFive. Contributed In twenty years of journalism, he’s been published in more than 40 magazines, newspapers, websites, and had over 3200 pieces published. He writes regularly about international affairs, military hardware, firearms history and cybersecurity. Peter is also an author. Contributing Writer Forbes Clearance Jobs. Follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.

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