Report and photo by Robin Polderman
Four F-35A aircraft of the 132 Wing, homebased at Ørland airbase on the west coast of Norway, flew to the 31. Baza Lotnicza (31st Airbase) in Poznań-Krzesiny on Tuesday 7 January 2025. The deployment was announced by the Norwegian Defense Ministry early in December of the previous year.
The aircraft were moved to Poland to safeguard the airspace over Rzeszów-Jasionka airport within the framework of NATO’s integrated air and missile defense.
Located in the south-east of Poland, the airport is the country’s closest main airport to the Ukrainian border and serves as the main transit hub for foreign aid to the war-torn country.
A quick glance at flight tracking websites shows a number of military transport aircraft landing at Rzeszów-Jasionka airport on any given day.
In May 2024, Poland identified several threats and stepped up security around the airport. Warsaw is afraid Russian-backed sabotage actions might disrupt the flow of essential supplies to Ukraine, whether it's humanitarian aid or military goods. The airport in Rzeszów also serves as a major medical evacuation hub for wounded Ukrainian warriors.
Besides the F-35 fighter jets, Norway is also sending NASAMS air defense systems. Around one hundred Norwegian soldiers are operating on Polish soil with the deployment scheduled to last until late April.