F-16, F-16 aircraft, F-16 fighters, Netherlands Air Force
Photo: defensie.nl | Two F-16 fighters of the Netherlands Air Force took off to intercept Russian bombers
According to the Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands, two F-16 fighter jets were raised in the air following an alarm. Russian planes were intercepted over the territory of Denmark.
The Royal Netherlands Air Force reported on August 14 that at 7:19 a.m. local time, two Russian bombers were spotted over the territory of Denmark, heading towards the Netherlands.
During the approach of the planes to the airspace of the Benelux countries, two F-16 fighter jets were raised in the air from Voelkel Air Base, Netherlands.
«This morning, two Air Force F-16 fighters took off to intercept two Russian bombers. They were flying towards Dutch airspace. The deployment of the fighter was related to the so-called Quick Response Alert (QRA),» the Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands confirmed.
According to the agency, fighter jets of the Danish armed forces took part in the actions, which eventually intercepted Russian planes over the territory of Denmark. «The bombers turned back,» the message reads.
The Netherlands and Belgium take on these tasks in turn over several months. They control the airspace not only of the Netherlands, but also of the entire Benelux.
Russian planes regularly violate the airspace of NATO countries. After the start of the war in Ukraine, the frequency of such provocations increased significantly. Hardly a month goes by when NATO fighter jets are not forced to intervene.
