Eastern Sentry: NATO strengthens its air defense on the eastern flank
F-16, Rafale, and Eurofighter fighter jets join the allied deployment on the eastern flank.
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NATO announced the launch of Eastern Sentry, a multinational deployment aimed at reinforcing the Alliance’s defensive posture along its eastern flank, following the incursion of dozens of Russian drones into Polish airspace on September 10.
Allied Command Operations (ACO) reported from Mons, Belgium, that the activity will span multiple domains and last for an unspecified period, with the goal of “shielding and protecting all Allies” against the growing frequency of airspace violations.
“The entry of Russian drones into Poland is not an isolated incident and affects more than just one country,” said General Alexus G. Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). “While the full assessment of the episode is still underway, NATO is not waiting: we are acting.”
nitial contributions
Several nations have already confirmed the deployment of air and naval assets under Eastern Sentry:
- Denmark will deploy two F-16 fighters and an anti-air warfare frigate.
- France will contribute three Rafale fighters.
- Germany will add four Eurofighter Typhoons.
- The United Kingdom has expressed its willingness to provide additional capabilities.
These reinforcements will integrate with existing assets already operating in the region, including Dutch F-35 fighters, NATO AWACS early warning aircraft, and Polish F-16s that took part in the interception of the drones.
Escalating tensions
The announcement of the operation comes two days after Poland invoked Article 4 of the Washington Treaty, requesting formal consultations with Allies over what Warsaw described as a “large-scale provocation.” The North Atlantic Council expressed full solidarity with Poland and condemned Russia’s “reckless and dangerous” behavior.
On the night of September 10, Polish Armed Forces shot down multiple Russian drones that crossed into their territory as part of a large-scale attack against Ukraine. Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that it was “the most serious incident for Poland since the Second World War,” though he ruled out that the region was “on the brink of war.”
Countermeasures and new technologies
In addition to the immediate reinforcement of air and naval assets, NATO confirmed that Eastern Sentry will also include the rapid integration of new technologies in the field of air combat, with a focus on drone detection and neutralization. ACO will work with Allied Command Transformation to deploy sensors and weapons specifically designed against unmanned threats, building on experience from the Baltic Sentry initiative.
“The goal is to provide more focused and flexible deterrence, and to respond to reckless acts like the one that occurred this week,” Grynkewich emphasized.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed in a message on X that Eastern Sentry “will make clear that NATO is always ready to defend.” Similarly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the launch of Russian drones over Poland constitutes “an escalation that poses a real threat to Europe” and urged the acceleration of security guarantees for Kyiv. He also offered to share Ukraine’s operational experience in drone interception as a contribution to NATO’s collective defense.
With this move, NATO seeks to send an unequivocal message to Moscow: any attempt to challenge the security of the eastern flank will be met with a collective response, while Ukraine presses to integrate more closely into the Alliance’s defensive system.
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