Home  /  Newsroom  /  2022  /  Royal Air Force F-35s forward deploy for NATO mission

RAMSTEIN, Germany – RAF F-35 jets have landed at Ämari Air Base, Estonia to better support NATO's enhanced Air Policing mission on the Alliances Eastern Flank.

The F-35 Lightnings from RAF Marham, UK joined other Allied 5th Generation fighters provided by the US Air Force and the Royal Netherlands Air Force who are taking part in air patrols over Eastern Europe. This activity provides air policing of NATO airspace ensuring a robust and integrated shield for Allied airspace and contributing to the security of Europe. 

The 5th Generation Fighter is a world beating aircraft which can simultaneously provide Electronic Warfare, Intelligence gathering and unmatched sensor fusion to support a wide spectrum of combat capabilities

"The F-35 is an incredibly capable and versatile aircraft. Operating alongside the Typhoons they are maintaining the integrity of the European airspace and contributing to the NATO Mission," said Group Captain Philip Marr, Station Commander, RAF Marham. "The 5th Generation Fighter is a world leading aircraft which can simultaneously provide Electronic Warfare, Intelligence gathering and unmatched sensor fusion to support a wide spectrum of combat capabilities."

Royal Air Force F-35s patrol the skies over Eastern Europe as part of the ongoing NATO mission. Photo courtesy of Royal Air Force.

Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35s fly from Leeuwarden have been flying daily in support of NATO's enhanced air posture on its Eastern Flank. Photo courtesy of Royal Netherlands Air force.

This new deployment will see the aircraft based alongside Belgian F-16s where they will be better postured to support the ongoing NATO mission. They will join other Allied 4th and 5th Generation fighters carrying out patrols over Polish and the Baltic States' airspace. 

These 5th Generation stealth fighters can be armed with a variety of Air-to-Air and Air to Ground weapons and are capable of multiple simultaneous missions such as Air Policing whilst intelligence gathering.