Italian F-35s scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft over the Baltic

Two Italian Air Force F-35A Lightning II fighters, deployed to Ämari Air Base (Estonia) under NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, were scrambled to intercept Russian military aircraft approaching Alliance airspace.

According to NATO Air Command, the fighters of the Task Force Air – 32nd Wing and 6th Wing were launched in quick reaction alert (QRA) in response to unidentified Russian aircraft flying without flight plans and with transponders switched off.

During the mission, the Italian stealth fighters intercepted a Russian An-124 “Condor”, a strategic transport aircraft, flying in international airspace near the Baltic region from/to Kaliningrad. Encounters with this type of heavy transport aircraft are less common compared to the usual Su-27 or Su-24 fighter jets often detected in the area.