Three-month NATO mission in Poland: Dutch and Norwegian F-35s under SHAPE command, 24/7 QRA, and protection of the NSATU hub.
The Dutch F-35s are deployed in Poland for three months, alongside Norwegian aircraft, under NATO (SHAPE) command. Their mission covers Air Policing, 24/7 QRA and securing the logistics corridors used to transport military aid to Ukraine. From December 1, the Netherlands will deploy two Patriot batteries, one NASAMS and approximately 300 military personnel to protect the NSATU hub in Poland, near the Ukrainian border. The objective is twofold: deterrence and continuity of flows to Kyiv, with a high level of integration of Dutch and Norwegian resources (data links, NATO procedures).
The operational context and objective of the NATO mission
The Dutch Ministry of Defense has confirmed the landing of F-35s in Poland for a three-month mission of NATO Air Policing. The activation is in response to a request from SHAPE and will take place exclusively in Allied airspace. This mission mobilizes crews, mechanics, and operations officers already in position, with the aircraft having departed from Volkel Air Base. The Dutch F-35s are operating alongside Norwegian F-35s, which strengthens interoperability and NATO standardization (procedures, refueling, ammunition, data links). The political message is clear: concrete support for Poland and guaranteed continuity for the transport corridors to Ukraine. Flights remain within NATO territory, but cover the main air routes and multimodal corridors used by convoys, with patrols flexible according to radar activity and real-time traffic flows. At the political-military level, the mission is part of NSATU (NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine), whose operational headquarters are in Wiesbaden and whose logistics hubs include Jasionka (Rzeszów) in Poland, approximately 70 km from the Ukrainian border. This architecture allows for centralized coordination of equipment and protection of critical points through air rotations and ground-to-air systems.
Assigned missions: Air Policing and 24/7 QRA in service of the corridors
The core of the mission is Air Policing on a permanent basis: continuous surveillance of allied airspace, identification of non-cooperative aircraft, and interceptions on orders from the CAOC (Combined Air Operations Centers) in Uedem or Torrejón. In the event of an alert, QRA 24/7 requires takeoff within minutes (usually ≈ 15 minutes depending on the urgency and local posture). This responsiveness aims to ward off intrusions, clarify ambiguous trajectories, and avoid any friction near NATO borders. The second objective is to secure logistics corridors to Ukraine: surveillance of routes leading to rail and airport platforms, monitoring of sensitive freight flows, and credible presence over regions where ammunition, spare parts, and vehicles are transported. In practical terms, patrols are organized as CAP (combat air patrols) over predefined areas, synchronized with civilian and military air traffic control centers. Crews have access to fused intelligence (NATO ground radars, onboard sensors, Link 16/MADL links) to detect early any abnormal behavior (inactive transponders, unplanned trajectories, vectors without flight plans). This deterrent posture does not eliminate the risk of border incidents, but it significantly reduces blind spots and stabilizes traffic to Ukraine without having to cross the border.
The F-35’s technical capabilities useful for air policing
The F-35A provides a sensor suite and data fusion that are particularly well suited to air policing. The AN/APG-81 AESA radar provides long-range detection and multi-target tracking in dense environments. The DAS (AN/AAQ-37) provides spherical infrared coverage useful for detecting aircraft without active emissions, while the EOTS (AN/AAQ-40) provides electro-optical identification and designation. The AN/ASQ-239 electronic warfare system enhances alerting and passive geolocation of transmitters, while enabling countermeasures. The avionics integrate these streams via fusion to present the pilot with a simplified single situation. In terms of kinematics, an F-35A can fly at up to ≈ Mach 1.6 (~1,975 km/h) and ≈ 50,000 ft (≈ 15,240 m), with a range of over 1,000 km depending on the profile. During interception, the combination of speed/altitude and sensors allows the aircraft to quickly reach a suspicious radar track, verify its identity, and escort it to a safe area. The Link 16 and MADL systems enable real-time sharing between Dutch and Norwegian aircraft, as well as with ground sensors and NATO controllers. In the event of engagement (highly unlikely in Air Policing), the standard armament includes AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-9X missiles and, for the A version, a 25 mm internal cannon. This toolkit promotes measured interception that is proportionate and adapted to the rules of engagement and air law in force.
Ground-to-air reinforcement for the NSATU hub: Patriot, NASAMS, and anti-drones
Starting on December 1, the Netherlands is deploying ≈ 300 military personnel, two Patriot batteries and one NASAMS, supplemented by anti-drone capabilities, to protect the NSATU hub — notably Rzeszów-Jasionka (Jasionka), approximately 70 km from Ukraine. This multi-layered system combines Patriot (high/medium level, against aircraft and short-range ballistic missiles) and NASAMS (short/medium level, AMRAAM/AMRAAM-ER missiles). The objective is to provide in-depth defense of transit routes and reduce vulnerability to hostile drones, cruise missiles, or aircraft. Indicative costs: a PAC-3 MSE costs around $4 million (≈ €3.4 million at current exchange rates), an AMRAAM ≈ $1 million (≈ €0.85 million). Although these figures vary depending on the batch and country, they show that each interception is costly, hence the importance of layered effects and effective sensors (Sentinel radars, passive sensors, friendly jamming). NSATU coordinates deliveries and training from Wiesbaden, with main hubs in Poland and Romania. This mechanism reduces transit times and secures the supply chain in an exposed area already marked by proximity incidents. The arrival of F-35s patrolling above these crossing points completes the ground-to-air bubble, providing detection, identification, and deterrence.
Strategic and industrial consequences for the region
On a strategic level, the joint presence of Dutch and Norwegian F-35s in Poland raises the bar for deterrence in the East. It streamlines the rules of engagement and acculturates crews to incident management on active borders (uncooperative trajectories, jamming, drones). For Poland, the effect is twofold: an immediate safety net and an accelerated learning curve before the arrival of Polish F-35s in 2026. Rzeszów-Jasionka remains the main logistical artery, hence the interest in coupling patrols with Patriot/NASAMS. From an industrial perspective, this mission highlights the importance of ammunition: demand for AMRAAM is skyrocketing (multi-year contracts), and PAC-3 MSEs remain rare and expensive. In terms of flights, an F-35 requires many hours of maintenance and dedicated logistics chains, but its capacity effect (sensors + fusion) replaces several previous-generation platforms. Frankly, the value of the mission is not measured by the number of visible aircraft, but by the ability to maintain operational readiness without gaps in coverage, even during peaks of activity by Russia near the borders. NATO sees this as an integration laboratory: harmonized CAOC procedures, data link interoperability, feedback on GNSS jamming and drones. In the medium term, the realistic objective is to sustain a mobile, responsive, and fundable multi-layered bubble over several semesters, rather than aligning one-off effects that are not financially sustainable.
War Wings Daily is an independant magazine.