For the first time, F-35A Lightning II combat aircraft of the Royal Denmark Air Force (Flyvevåbnet) have intercepted a Russian military plane within the framework of their mission as part of the NATO rapid reaction alert force (QRA). The action took place on the Baltic Sea, in an area of strategic interest near the Danish island of Bornholm.
He target was an Ilyushin Il-20melectronic recognition aircraft known by NATO as COOT-A, specialized in surveillance and compilation of intelligence. The F-35A, which took off from the Skrydstrup air base in southern Denmark, made the visual identification of the Russian apparatus after being detected by terrestrial radars.
Completed mission: without entering into Danish airspace
According to the Danish authorities, the Russian IL-20m never violated sovereign airspace and remained at all times in international waters. However, its presence in the region activated the immediate reaction protocols of NATO, in which the F-35 are now fully integrated.
“The airplanes followed the IL-20m while flying in the Danish interest zone near Bornholm, after which they returned based on,” said the Danish Ministry of Defense.
The images of the operation, published by the Armed Forces of Denmark (Forsvaret), They clearly show the time of the escortwith f-35a fighters flying next to the Russian plane.
A new chapter for the Danish defense
This deployment marks the F-35A operational debut in real missions within QRAafter having declared its initial operational capacity (IOC) on April 1. In fact, the first guard was made even a few days before, at the end of March, since both the aircraft and their crews were prepared.
At the moment, Denmark has received 17 of the 27 F-35a in charge of the American Lockheed Martin. Of these, 11 are deployed in the Danish territory, while the remaining ones are in the Luke air base in Arizona, as part of a joint training unit. The plan contemplates that the delivery is completed in 2027, which will allow the old F-16AM/BM FIGHTING FALCON to be completely removed, which will be transferred to Argentina and Ukraine.
The Baltic, increasingly tense
The action of Danish fighters is produced in a high voltage context in the Baltic Seawhere the Russian military presence has increased markedly since the beginning of the large -scale invasion of Ukraine. The Danish Minister stressed the importance of maintaining active surveillance in this critical region:
“The situation in the Baltic Sea remains tense. Together with our Nordic neighbors, Poland and Germany, we have a shared responsibility for the safety of the Baltic.”
With this operation, Denmark adds to NATO countries which have already tested their fifth generation fighters against Russian airplanes in strategic areas, consolidating the role of F-35a as a key piece in the defense of the northern flank of the Atlantic Alliance.