A NATO AWACS aircraft takes off for a training mission. The airplane provides battle management and fighter control functions during combined aerial drills. [Courtesy: NATO Airborne Warning and Control Force]
Key Takeaways:
U.S. F-35s, KC-135s, Royal Netherlands Air Force aircraft, and a NATO AWACS conducted aerial drills, including "find, fix, track, and target" (F2T2) exercises, over Poland.
The multinational drills were held amid growing concerns about a potential conflict with Russia on NATO's eastern flank within the next decade.
The NATO E-3A AWACS surveillance aircraft, which participated in the drills, is part of a fleet set to be modernized to the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail, with the first operational aircraft expected by 2031.
U.S. F-35 Lightning IIs and a KC-135 Stratotanker joined aircraft from the Royal Netherlands Air Force and a NATO E-3A airborne warning and control system (AWACS) surveillance aircraft for aerial drills in airspace over Poland, according to NATO Air Command.
The U.S. fighter jets and tanker deployed from bases in the U.K., according to NATO.
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