“Eastern Sentry will add flexibility and strength to our posture,” said Rutte, underlining the need to deter aggression and defend every Ally. He thanked General Grynkewich for his “responsive leadership both in the context of the incursions on 10 September and in guiding the design of this new activity,” and also recognised Admiral Pierre Vandier for promoting innovative solutions to counter emerging threats such as drones.
The North Atlantic Council had convened on Wednesday (10 September) in response to Poland’s request for consultations under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty. Rutte noted that while the incident was the largest concentration of airspace violations, “what happened on Wednesday was not an isolated incident. Russia’s recklessness in the air along our eastern flank is increasing in frequency.”
General Grynkewich stressed the urgency of NATO’s action. “The violation of Poland’s airspace earlier this week is not an isolated incident and impacts more than just Poland,” he said. “While a full assessment of the incident is ongoing, NATO is not waiting, we are acting.”
The operation, to be conducted by Allied Command Operations, will include Allied assets across domains and feature both traditional capabilities and novel technologies to counter drones. “Eastern Sentry and this new approach will deliver even more focused and flexible deterrence and defence where and when needed to protect our people and deter against further reckless and dangerous acts like what occurred earlier this week,” said General Grynkewich.
Several Allies have already announced contributions. Denmark will provide two F-16s and an anti-air warfare frigate, France will deploy three Rafales, Germany will send four Eurofighters, and the United Kingdom has expressed readiness to support. These forces will reinforce NATO’s forward land presence in eight eastern flank countries, which Rutte highlighted as a key element of deterrence.
NATO said Eastern Sentry will be conducted for an undisclosed period and will also involve close cooperation with Allied Command Transformation to accelerate the introduction of new technologies, including counter-drone sensors and weapons. The Alliance emphasised that strengthening air defence and protecting critical infrastructure remain essential priorities.
