US EditionPhotos show an F-35 flaunting a fresh kill marking after the stealth fighter made NATO history by downing Russian drones
Dutch F-35s shot down multiple Russian Shahed drones during a large-scale attack, marking NATO's first combat kill in alliance airspace with at least four drones destroyed, officials said.
- On the night between September 9 and 10, 2025, a Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35A shot down a Russian Shahed drone over Polish airspace, marking NATO's first confirmed F-35 kill.
- Dutch and NATO officials say around 23 drones crossed from Belarus into Poland at about 23:30 on September 9, triggering a NATO Quick Reaction Alert during Moscow's large-scale strike on Ukraine.
- Photos released by the Dutch Ministry of Defence on September 30 show at least four drones destroyed, mostly by Dutch F-35s, with tail number F-027 of the 313th Squadron marked.
- Polish authorities closed Warsaw Chopin and Modlin airports, and Poland invoked Article 4 of the NATO treaty while allies launched Operation Eastern Sentry as Russia and Belarus conducted large exercises.
- Faced with cheap drone swarms and rising costs, officials warn using high-value platforms raises sustainability concerns even as NATO boosts defence spending amid Russia's 1.5 million troops.
14 Articles
14 Articles
At the launch of several Russian drones over Poland in mid-September, the fighter jet "Lightning II" was involved. The plane now has the "killer badge."
On the official website of the Dutch Ministry of Defense, a photo of an F-35A fighter involved in the NATO mission to protect Poland from Russian drones appears: on the aircraft...
Photos show an F-35 flaunting a fresh kill marking after the stealth fighter made NATO history by downing Russian drones
The Dutch F-35 was pictured with a new marking.Facebook/Dutch Ministry of Defense/Business InsiderA Dutch F-35 has a new kill marking after the jet shot down Russian drones.The stealth fighters were involved in intercepting Russian drones that breached Polish airspace.It was the first time NATO aircraft had downed a Russian aircraft of any kind in alliance airspace.Dutch military photos showed an F-35 stealth fighter sporting a fresh drone-shape…
Last month, NATO fighter jets shot down several Russian drones that had entered Polish airspace. A Dutch F-35 fighter jet that took part in the operation had a “Kill Mark” on its nose, according to a photo released by the country’s military. The other planes, released by the Dutch Defense Ministry, did not have such markings. The ministry said in a statement that the markings did not represent a number, but rather a number of drones shot down. T…
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