On April 24, Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets were scrambled from Poland for the first time under NATO command to intercept a Russian Il-20M reconnaissance aircraft flying over international waters in the Baltic Sea.
This marks Sweden’s first operational deployment under NATO’s enhanced Air Policing mission since joining the alliance earlier this year. The interception, coordinated by NATO’s Air Operations Centre in Germany, highlights rising Russian aerial activity near NATO airspace. NATO praised the smooth cooperation between Swedish and British forces operating out of Malbork Air Base.
The Russian aircraft was flying without an active transponder, a common practice that poses risks to civilian air traffic and is viewed as a provocative move to test NATO’s response capabilities.
For the first time under NATO’s enhanced Air Policing ?? Gripen scramble in response to ?? aircraft close to NATO airspace
?? are currently deployed to Malbork ?? alongside the ??RAF demonstrating seamless integration, safeguarding the integrity of Allied territory 24/7/365 pic.twitter.com/mwWO2gOtz6
— NATO Air Command (@NATO_AIRCOM) April 24, 2025
