After four months stationed at the 22nd Tactical Air Base in Malbork, the Royal Air Force (RAF) is concluding its deployment in Poland. Since early April, six Typhoon Eurofighter jets have been operating from the base as part of NATO’s enhanced Air Policing mission, a key element of the alliance’s efforts to bolster security on its eastern flank.
RAF personnel, deployed under Operation Chessman, have been responsible for over 20 interception missions in the Baltic region.
“For the past four months, we’ve been supporting NATO’s enhanced air surveillance,” said Flight Specialist Izzy Doherty in a social media statement.
“We’ve carried out more than 20 air intercepts, defending NATO airspace, and conducted joint training flights with partners from 13 allied nations, including participation in Exercise Hedgehog in Estonia and Atlantic Trident in Finland.”
During their time in Poland, RAF pilots logged over 460 flying hours – the equivalent of circling the globe ten times. Many of their quick reaction alerts involved Russian aircraft operating from the Kaliningrad exclave, such as Il-20M reconnaissance planes and Su-24 Flanker fighters. Though these aircraft remained in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, they frequently failed to file flight plans or switched off their transponders, posing a significant risk to civilian air traffic. On at least one occasion, a Russian aircraft briefly entered Polish airspace over the Baltic.
The British contingent’s mission was carried out in close coordination with the Swedish Air Force, which is also currently operating out of Malbork. Swedish forces, comprising approximately 120 personnel from the Blekinge Air Wing and six JAS-39 Gripen jets, continue their deployment through the end of August. Their focus has now shifted to protecting critical infrastructure in southeastern Poland, a key logistical hub for both military and humanitarian support to Ukraine.
„We can make a meaningful contribution to Poland’s air defence capabilities,” said the commander of the Swedish deployment, Colonel Christian Bertilsson. „By participating in NATO’s collective deterrence and air defence efforts, we are also enhancing Sweden’s national security.”
Swedish aircraft have also been scrambled alongside Polish jets during overnight hours in response to Russian long-range missile attacks on Ukraine, particularly when such attacks present a potential threat near the Polish border.
The commander of the Malbork base, Colonel Mariusz Wiączkowski, received thanks from the RAF for the close cooperation and support extended throughout the deployment. As the RAF prepares to rotate out, the mission stands as a testament to allied solidarity and the increasing integration of NATO’s northern and eastern air forces in the face of ongoing regional tensions.
Source: naszemiasto.pl
Photo: @NATO_AIRCOM
Tomasz Modrzejewski
