Royal Netherlands Air Force fighters were deployed from Volkel military base on Sunday after the Ministry of Defence sounded the Quick Reaction Alert when an aircraft entered Dutch airspace
Two fighter jets were dispatched from a NATO country’s military base after an unidentified aircraft breached the alliance’s airspace. The Royal Netherlands Air Force fighters took off from the Volkel military base on Sunday, following the Ministry of Defence’s Quick Reaction Alert (QRA), which is triggered when an aircraft enters an airspace without identification.
QRAs are not uncommon, happening several times a year. “We alternate these activities with Belgium and cover the entire Benelux region”, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence explained. The reason behind the aircraft’s presence in Dutch airspace remains unclear, according to the Express.
A representative from the Ministry of Defence speculated that it could have been a drone, “but not one you’d buy at MediaMarkt”. Alternatively, it might have been a passenger plane that temporarily lost ground communication, or possibly another unmanned vehicle
This incident follows the scrambling of NATO fighter jets yesterday in response to one of the most severe missile attacks of the ongoing Ukraine war by Vladimir Putin’s forces.
Ukraine experienced power cuts and heating disruptions as Russia launched 51 missiles and deployed 653 strike drones on civilian infrastructure amidst freezing temperatures. A significant thermal power plant in Kryvyi Rih – the birthplace of Volodymr Zelensky – was directly hit.
Ukrainian air defences successfully intercepted 585 drones, 29 cruise missiles and one ballistic missile, with the magnitude of the assault – utilising Tu-95MS and Tu-160MS strategic bomber aircraft – prompting NATO member Poland to deploy fighter jets over concerns the ballistic and cruise missiles might pose a threat to alliance territory.
“Due to the activity of long-range Russian air forces carrying out strikes on Ukrainian territory, military aviation has begun operating in Polish airspace,” a statement confirmed. “The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces has activated the necessary forces and resources at its disposal.
“Fighter aircraft have been scrambled, and ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have reached a state of readiness. These actions are preventative in nature and aimed at securing and protecting airspace, especially in areas… adjacent to the threatened areas.”
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