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Sweden deploys JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets to support a NATO air defense mission over Poland starting this month, helping protect Polish airspace and a key logistics hub used to support military and civilian assistance to Ukraine.

Most of the Swedish aircraft will remain based in Sweden and conduct missions in Polish airspace, while a smaller forward presence will operate from a base in Poland. The mission will contribute to NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense and strengthen surveillance and protection along the Alliance’s eastern flank.

The Swedish fighters will have a particular focus on protecting the logistics hub in southeastern Poland in the Rzeszów area, near the Ukrainian border. The site is a major route for military and civilian assistance moving toward Ukraine.

Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson said the security situation and repeated violations of NATO airspace had demonstrated the need for a high level of military readiness along the eastern flank.

“Swedish fighter jets will contribute to the defense of Allied airspace and to protect important logistical flows of military support to Ukraine,” Jonson said.

The deployment is Sweden’s second contribution with fighter aircraft to NATO efforts to protect the Polish logistics hub. Swedish Gripens previously conducted airspace surveillance over Poland in 2025 after Sweden joined NATO in March 2024.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the new deployment would again support the protection of NATO airspace and the continued delivery of assistance to Ukraine.

“For the second time, Swedish fighter jets will be taking part in airspace surveillance over Poland to protect NATO’s airspace and ensure the continued delivery of vital support to Ukraine,” Kristersson said.

Sweden Expands Role in NATO Air Defense

The Gripens will operate as part of NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense system, which combines fighter aircraft, radars and ground-based air defense systems to monitor and respond to potential threats involving aircraft, missiles and drones.

The Swedish government has not specified how many Gripens will participate in the new mission, but the Swedish Armed Forces said the operation will begin on October 1 and continue for two months.

Jonson said Poland was a close ally and an important hub for support to Ukraine, adding that Sweden’s security was being built together with its NATO allies.

Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard also linked the deployment to Sweden’s wider role in NATO. She said Swedish and Euro-Atlantic security were being strengthened through cooperation with allied countries.

“By providing Swedish Gripen fighter jets to contribute to NATO’s defense of Allied airspace along the Eastern flank, we are strengthening the security of Sweden and our Allies, and securing continued support to Ukraine,” Stenergard said.

The deployment comes as Poland and other NATO members maintain heightened air defense readiness following repeated incidents involving airspace violations during the conflict in Ukraine.

Previous Swedish Mission in Poland

Sweden first deployed Gripen fighters to Poland for a NATO air policing mission in 2025, marking the first time Swedish combat aircraft operated from the territory of another NATO member after Sweden joined the Alliance.

In March 2025, six Gripens from the Norrbotten Wing were deployed to Malbork Air Base in northern Poland for Sweden’s first NATO enhanced Air Policing mission from the territory of another NATO ally.

In May, six additional Gripen C fighters and about 120 personnel from the Blekinge Wing were deployed to Poland as part of a separate NATO air defense mission supporting protection of the logistics hub in southeastern Poland.

The aircraft supported NATO airspace surveillance and helped protect the logistics area around Rzeszów. The earlier mission ran from the spring until the end of August 2025.

The new deployment will again focus on protecting Polish airspace and the important supply route into Ukraine, although most of the Swedish aircraft will operate from bases in Sweden rather than being permanently stationed in Poland.

NATO Airspace Readiness

The Swedish deployment follows a series of incidents that have increased NATO’s attention to airspace security along its eastern flank.

One of the most serious incidents occurred in September 2025, when Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace during a large-scale attack on Ukraine. Polish and allied aircraft responded, and several of the drones were shot down.

The incident marked the first known engagement by NATO aircraft against Russian drones over Alliance territory since the start of Russia’s full-scale military operation in Ukraine.

Poland has continued to maintain a high level of air defense readiness. Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed the new Swedish deployment and thanked Stockholm for providing the Gripens for the NATO mission.

Polish fighter aircraft have also continued to conduct patrols, while the country’s air defense forces remain on heightened readiness.

The Swedish government said the latest mission reflects the security situation along NATO’s eastern flank and Sweden’s commitment to collective defense following its accession to the Alliance.

Gripen Designed for Flexible Operations

The JAS 39 Gripen is a single-engine multirole fighter developed by Swedish defense company Saab. The aircraft was designed to operate from dispersed locations, including relatively short runways, with comparatively small ground crews.

That design allows the Gripen to conduct operations from a wider range of locations and supports Sweden’s decision to keep most of the aircraft based at home while conducting missions over Poland.

Swedish Gripens have also taken part in other NATO activities since Sweden became an Alliance member. In February and March 2026, Swedish fighters conducted NATO missions from Keflavik in Iceland.

The growing use of Swedish fighters in NATO missions reflects Stockholm’s increased military role within the Alliance following its accession in 2024.

The deployment over Poland will place Swedish Gripens alongside aircraft and air defense systems from other NATO members in monitoring and protecting Allied airspace. It will also provide additional protection for a major logistics route through which military and civilian assistance continue to move toward Ukraine.