Norway will station its F-35 stealth fighters in Poland this autumn to help guard Polish airspace and the Rzeszów-Jasionka airport, the main logistical hub for Western military aid entering Ukraine. “We are helping ensure that support to Ukraine reaches its destination, and that Ukraine can continue its fight for freedom,” Norwegian Defence Minister Tore Sandvik said as he confirmed the mission. The Netherlands followed on 7 July, announcing that Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35s will be based in Poland from 1 September to 1 December. Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans said the aircraft will fly round-the-clock patrols under NATO’s quick-reaction alert, working alongside the Norwegian detachment to deter Russian incursions and protect supply corridors. The twin deployments, requested by NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, come after a surge in Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukraine that prompted Poland to scramble its own fighters. Stationing fifth-generation jets close to the Ukrainian border marks the alliance’s latest step to reinforce its eastern flank and secure the flow of weapons to Kyiv.