NATO F-35A approaches and locks onto Russian Su-27 and Su-24M targets

The Baltic skies shook as a NATO member country's F-35A scrambled to intercept Russian Su-27 and Su-24M, revealing the silent front of confrontation between NATO and Moscow.

On August 13, two Italian Air Force F-35A stealth fighters were ordered to take off from Amari Air Base in Estonia. Their mission was not a routine training exercise, but rather to intercept Russian aircraft approaching Baltic airspace, an area that is always sensitive to security.

According to NATO reports, the F-35 squadron approached two Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft, including an Su-27 air superiority fighter and a Su-24M, a ground attack aircraft that was once the backbone of the Soviet air force. This is the type of confrontation that NATO has long prepared for, but it was the first time the Italian F-35s directly carried out in the Baltic.

Both the Su-27 and Su-24M flew without submitting flight plans, turned off their transponders, and maintained flight paths close to the Baltic Air Defense Identification Zone. This behavior is not new, but in the current tense situation, it is seen as a “probing” by NATO, forcing the alliance to deploy its most elite forces.

Notably, the incident occurred just a day after the Hungarian Air Force used Gripen C/D fighters on a similar mission. The fact that two different NATO countries had to respond almost consecutively shows that the intensity of Russian military activity around the Baltic is at an unusually high level.

The Su-27 and Su-24M are classic Cold War products. Over the past 15 years, Russia has gradually phased out the older airframes, but they still operate for reconnaissance, patrol, and diversionary missions. Their presence in the Baltics is reminiscent of the psychological pressure tactics used by the Soviet Union.

This is all the more remarkable as it comes at a time when Europe is witnessing an unprecedented wave of military support for Ukraine. Leopard 2 tanks, HIMARS rockets and pilot training are all being accelerated, creating an increasingly direct confrontation between Russia and NATO.

In the balance of power in the air, the F-35 is NATO's trump card. In just a few years, it has won the majority of fighter contracts in Europe, causing the Eurofighter Typhoon and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to gradually lose their positions. For the Baltic and Eastern European countries, the F-35 is not just a weapon, but a strategic deterrent.

Compared to Russian 4+ generation fighters such as the Su-35 or Su-30SM, the F-35 is superior in stealth, sensor integration and electronic warfare. In a real combat scenario, these advantages can make a decisive difference right from the first radar contact.

In contrast, Russia currently has only one regiment of fifth-generation Su-57 fighters. The program was expected to launch in 2000, but the economic and industrial crisis that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union slowed the program by more than two decades. This capability gap forced Moscow to find other ways to fill the gap.

Instead of relying entirely on the Su-57, Russia is making the most of its long-range air defense network and upgrading older fighter jets such as the Su-30, Su-34, and Su-35. This approach maintains the number of fighter jets while combining it with ground defense superiority to counter NATO air power in an asymmetrical manner.

However, extending the life cycle of 4+ generation fighters also means the risk of falling behind NATO's stealth and cyber-centric technologies. The Russian Defense Ministry has had to expand its orders for the Su-30 and Su-35 far beyond the original plan, as a measure to keep the air force in step.

The F-35 - Su-27/Su-24M encounter in the Baltic, although it did not result in any collision or combat, carried a clear strategic message: the skies over Eastern Europe are a silent but tense front, where even a small mistake is enough to trigger an uncontrollable chain of military reactions.

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