In response to the Russian aggression, Poland invoked Article 4 of the Washington Treaty.
The Royal Air Force is deploying Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets in Eastern Europe after Russian drones violated Polish airspace.
Last week, approximately 19 Russian unmanned aerial systems violated Polish airspace, forcing NATO to deploy fighter jets and other air defense systems to shoot them down. Then, on Sunday, a Russian drone also violated the airspace of Romania, another NATO member.
In response to these violations, NATO is bolstering its forces in the east.
Eurofighter Typhoons in the East
The British fighter jets will join other NATO aircraft, including Danish, French, and German fighter jets. However, the Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons will not forward deploy to Poland or other NATO countries.
They will operate out of RAF Coningsby, in England, and utilize Voyager air tankers for mid-air refueling. London expects the fighter jets to begin policing NATO’s eastern flank in the coming days.
“Russia crossed a line with the reckless drone incursions into NATO airspace,” British secretary of state for defence John Healy said on X.
“The UK will fly Royal Air Force Typhoons on NATO air defence missions over Poland, deterring Russian aggression,” the British Secretary of Defence added.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a multirole fighter jet that can conduct air superiority and strategic strike missions. The European-made fighter jet has a maximum speed of Mach 1.8 (approximately 1,400 miles per hour) and can carry almost 20,000 lbs of air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions in 13 external hardpoints.
“The UK’s commitment to helping NATO defend every inch of allied territory is unshakeable,” the British Ministry of Defence stated.
“Royal Air Force Typhoons will join allies and fly air defence missions over Poland as part of Eastern Sentry following Russia’s reckless and dangerous drone incursion into Poland last week,” the British Ministry of Defence added.
Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons frequently deploy on air combat patrol missions in NATO’s eastern flank.
“This is a message to Moscow: you tested NATO, we responded with strength and unity,” Healy stated.
Pressure on Poland and NATO
In addition to the violation of Polish airspace with several unmanned aerial systems, Russia is keeping the pressure up by holding the large-scale military exercise Zapad 2025 very close to the Polish border. During the combined military drill with Belarus, Russian forces staged a simulated nuclear attack.
In response to the Russian aggression, Poland invoked Article 4 of the Washington Treaty. NATO’s Article 4 allows a member country to formally raise an issue with the transatlantic military alliance because it believes its territorial integrity, political independence, or security is threatened. Thereafter, NATO assesses the issue and determines its approach.
However, invoking Article 4 does not mean that NATO will respond by military force. Military action due to an attack on a NATO member state is covered by NATO’s Article 5, also known as the collective defense clause. Article 5 considers an attack against a NATO member to be an attack against the transatlantic alliance, allowing for a unified military response. The United States is the only NATO member to have ever invoked Article 5, which it did following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
Russian aggression against NATO members is raising the temperature in a most sensitive region.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Soos Jozsef / Shutterstock.com
