Italian F-35s intercept Russian jets during a patrol: "It's the first time."

Due Italian F-35s Estonia-based aircraft have intercepted Russian jets during a patrol for the first time: here are the details.

Russian jets intercepted by Italian F-35s during patrol: "It's the first time."

In the context of NATO patrol mission, for the first time two Italian F-35s have Russian jets intercepted in Estonia.

NATO Air Command itself made this known: “For the first time, two Italian F-35s took off in Estonia in response to Russian aircraft as part of the air patrol mission NATOThe Italian Air Task Force, a detachment of the 32nd Wing at Amari Air Base, is on rapid alert 24 hours a day, seven days a week, demonstrating the Alliance's commitment to safeguarding NATO airspace."

Russian jets intercepted by Italian F-35s during patrol: the details

As we have seen, this is a historical operation, because it was the first one carried out by jet Italians based in Estonia in that area. The two jets took off in QRA mode, or Quick Reaction Alert, in order to locate an Antonov An-12 with a transponder turned off and without a flight plan, which was en route to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, above the international waters of the Baltic Sea.