NATO is deploying Dutch and Norwegian F-35s to Poland to improve air defense

• NATO will deploy F-35 jets on Poland to stop Russian threats near Ukraine.

• The mission marked the first F-35 operation under NATO command.

• The deployment of the plan highlights NATO’s strategic shift and Poland’s role as a defense hub.

NATO will work with the Netherlands and Norwegian F-35 fighter jets to patrol the sky from September to early December to promote air defense on its eastern side.

The Dutch Ministry of Defense announced a mission to secure critical supply lines to Ukraine and to block Russian activities near the Allied forces.

This will be the fifth-generation F-35 running from Poland under NATO Direct Command, an upgrade from previous missions using older aircraft such as the F-16 or Eurofighter.

According to Jamie Shea, former deputy deputy secretary-general of NATO, the shift is both symbolic and strategic.

“The F-35 represents a greater military capability for air defense and intelligence gatherings, especially at the moment when Russia dispatches up to 700 drones and ballistic missiles to Ukraine’s targets,” Shea told Business Insider.

The deployment will operate as a 24/7 rapid response alert, with Dutch and Norwegian personnel working together under NATO control. It follows the requirements of NATO’s highest headquarters in Europe, Europe’s largest country, which was caused by aggravated Russia’s strike near the Polish-Ukrainian border.

Russia is increasingly targeting infrastructure in western Ukraine, including areas near Lutsk and Ternopir, where Western aid and weapons are frequently entered.

“As Russia gets closer to the Polish border, there are dangers of Russian drones and missiles landing in Poland itself,” Shea said.

The mission strengthened Poland’s existing air defense measures (but did not replace them).

Although NATO F-35 has previously flown through Estonia, the upcoming Polish operation stands out with its length and transnational framework. The six-month deployment is one of the longest deployments of NATO F-35 and introduces a shared operational structure.

“Six months of deployment is an important commitment from Norway and the Netherlands,” Shea said. “Generally, the F-35 deployment lasts only a few days in practice.”

He also said the two countries were sharing the mission together, “not only strengthening their technological interoperability and ability to work together, but not only working with the Polish Air Force.”

He called the mission a European attack on Russia on Ukraine, fusing top-tier equipment and coordinating, a key example of European defense integration required.

Andrew A. Mikata, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Earth Strategy Initiative.

Michta noted that most of Europe’s long-standing U.S. military bases are still in Germany, which was the frontline of the Cold War. “Today, Poland plays the same role, the main defensive hub in the center of the East and Northeast Corridors,” he said.

“Poland is also a key transportation route to help Ukraine,” Michta added. “The deployment of F35 should strengthen deterrence on the flanks and convey information to Moscow about our ongoing commitment to Ukraine.”

The critical moment in Poland

The mission is also facing air defense pressure at a critical moment in Poland. The Polish Air Force has only 48 F-16s, and the new South Korean newly purchased FA-50 is now joining the service.

Michał Piekarski, a defense analyst at the University of Wroclaw, highlighted the ongoing risks near NATO airspace.

“Poland’s airspace and other countries on the eastern side of NATO are threatened by Russian activities,” he told BI. “Radio large missiles and drones pose a risk to Ukraine that may enter NATO airspace.”

He added that NATO aircraft have become an existence during these strikes and that the F-35 will “greatly support our fighters.”

Piekarski also warned of another danger: the vulnerability of Polish infrastructure near the Ukrainian border.

He said this could be a Russian attack on Polish logistics hubs in deliberate (or masquerading as accidental) form, such as airports, rail freight stations or gas and oil infrastructure.

He added: “If we want the situation of this assumption to remain a hypothesis, not a reality, a reliable deterrence is needed.”

As Poland is still awaiting its own F-35 delivery, joint training with experienced NATO partners is also crucial.

Warsaw ordered 32 F-35A aircraft from US manufacturer Lockheed Martin in 2020 and is scheduled to receive its first aircraft in 2026.

“Any opportunity for joint training and a better understanding of the F-35’s capabilities are very valuable to our armed forces,” Piekarski said.

Watch Ukraine

Hanna Hopko, former head of the Ukrainian parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, told BI that “the imminent deployment of the Netherlands and Norwegian F-35 to Poland is a critical step towards strengthening NATO’s deterrence posture and protecting a key lifesaving country supporting Ukrainian defense.”

She called it part of a broader recognition of the broader threat to Russia.

“The security of the continent is inseparable from the security of the sky on the eastern side of Ukraine and NATO,” Hopko added. “Especially for those who share borders with Russia.”

But she said there was more to do.

“Now it is necessary to scale up – not only to protect supply corridors, but also to protect critical infrastructure like nuclear power plants in Ukraine,” she said. “Democratic countries must act together to defend rule-based orders and the security of the future of the African continent.”

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