Dutch, Norwegian F-35s to guard Ukraine supply lines in Poland

PARIS — Dutch and Norwegian F-35 fighter jets will be stationed in Poland under NATO command to protect supplies of equipment to Ukraine, the Dutch defense ministry said.

The Dutch F-35s will be based in Poland from the start of September to the start of December, following a request from NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, or SHAPE, the Netherlands’ Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Monday.

“It is essential that we contribute to the defense of NATO territory and the security of Europe,” Dutch Minister of Defense Ruben Brekelmans said in the statement. “We are once again doing so with our most advanced capabilities.”

Deploying the Dutch F-35s to monitor airspace above Eastern Europe will protect military equipment intended for Ukraine, Brekelmans said. Stationing the jets in Poland will also allow for a quick response to violations or imminent violations of NATO airspace, according to the minister.

“In this way, we are literally keeping the Russian threat at bay,” Brekelmans said. “Recently, in Estonia, the deployment of our F-35s has proven to be very effective in this regard.”

The Netherlands deployed a detachment of F-35s to Ämari Air Base in Estonia in December for air-policing duties.

The Dutch force in Poland will cooperate as a combined detachment with Norwegian F-35s, with the countries dividing the personnel and material capabilities, the MoD said. The deployment will function as a quick-reaction alert force, on a 24-hour readiness basis.

The jets will operate under direct NATO command following a transfer of authority for the duration of the deployment, Brekelmans wrote in a letter to parliament.

Military equipment donated by NATO countries to Ukraine must reach its destination safely, and contributing to air defense in Poland will allow the alliance to safely carry out ground-based activities in support of the Ukrainian war effort, Brekelmans said.