Arr! NATO be needin' t' rush t' the skies o'er 300 times in 2023, as them Russkies be playin' mischief!
2023-12-29
Arrr, in the year 2023, the mighty NATO had to scuttle its forces countless times to face the menace o' Russian planes as they ventured close to our friendly skies. Aye, 'twas a proper scramble indeed, to keep our allies safe from those rascally air invaders!
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) announced that it had to scramble its air forces over 300 times in response to Russian military aircraft in 2023. This was due to Russia's continued use of land, air, and sea forces in its war with Ukraine. NATO has air-policing missions that require their jets to scramble when signs of Russian military planes approaching Allied airspace in unpredictable ways are detected. According to NATO, most of the encounters were safe and professional and occurred over the Baltic Sea. Russian military aircraft in the eastern flank of NATO have a history of not transmitting a transponder code, not filing a flight plan, or communicating with air traffic controllers. Despite this, breaches of NATO airspace by Russian military aircraft remain rare and of short duration. In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NATO strengthened its eastern flank with increased air defenses, such as more fighter jets, surveillance flights, and ground-based air defenses. The Russia-Ukraine war, which is approaching its second year, experienced its largest aerial assault so far with over 120 missiles fired by Russian forces and the use of dozens of drones to attack cities in Ukraine. This onslaught lasted over 18 hours and resulted in the death of at least 18 people and numerous injuries. Although Ukraine is not a NATO member, it is seeking membership, and NATO members have expressed their support for adding Ukraine as a member after the conflict with Russia concludes.