For the second time this year, Norway has sent fighter jets to Poland as part of a NATO mission. A Norwegian force of approximately 100 personnel has arrived to participate in air defence and surveillance of the alliance's airspace.
The operation is being conducted with F-35 aircraft and will, during parts of the period, be carried out together with a Dutch unit. The aircraft have departed from Ørland Air Base in Norway.
– We are ready. We have recent experience from the area and are well trained for the task, says the force's commander, Lieutenant Colonel Morten Hanche, in a statement from the Norwegian Armed Forces.
According to the Chief of the Norwegian Air Force, Major General Øivind Gunnerud, the operation is an expression of Norway's solidarity with both Poland and other NATO countries. He also links it to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
In addition to the air force, Norway has also previously participated in the surveillance of the Dutch contingent at the Polish base.