Poland’s Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced the arrival, saying the aircraft will land at the Poznań-Krzesiny base on Monday, with additional F-35s to join later this month.
The Royal Norwegian Air Force mission will be the second of its kind in Poland this year after a January-to-summer rotation.
Norwegian pilots will conduct patrols in close cooperation with Polish and Dutch crews.
Oslo says the deployment aims to defend the alliance’s eastern flank and deter potential threats.
Crews will be ready to intercept Russian aircraft and drones if Polish airspace is violated, but any decision to use weapons rests with NATO command.
“The North Atlantic Alliance has warned Russia not to escalate.
Norwegian Deputy Defense Minister Andreas Flaam told Poland's PAP news agency that the mission was primarily intended to defend NATO territory against air threats and intercept objects violating Polish airspace. He stressed that NATO’s European commander will decide on measures in each case.
Norway’s defense ministry added that heightened allied presence in the region is also preventive; the F-35s’ presence in Poland is meant to deter Moscow and reduce the risk of provocations.
The Norwegian defense minister, Tore O. Sandvik, has said the deployment is part of the alliance’s surveillance and deterrence system.
Kosiniak-Kamysz noted that Poland is awaiting its own F-35s—two aircraft have already entered the air force inventory—and said that allied support remains vital until the fleet is fully introduced.
NATO commanders frame the patrols as part of a broader strategy to bolster security for states bordering Russia.
In recent months, the alliance says it has significantly increased air forces on the eastern flank; such missions serve both operational needs and a political signal of allied unity and resolve.
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Source: PAP