On Tuesday and Wednesday, March 25 and 26, 2025, two NATO air contingents landed at the 22nd Air Base in Królewo Malborskie. In the coming months, they are set to operate alongside Polish pilots. The primary objective of this reinforcement is to support allies on NATO’s eastern flank, in response to the deteriorating security situation caused by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
A Litening pod could be seen mounted under the fuselage of some of the Eurofighters / Photo by: Radosław Niesobski
Chronologically, the first to redeploy their aircraft to Poland were the British. The Royal Air Force deployed six Eurofighter Typhoon multirole combat aircraft to Królewo Malborskie. The aircraft flew directly from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland — one of the main RAF Eurofighter bases responsible for securing the northern part of the United Kingdom and the area of responsibility over the North Sea. During the flight to Poland, the jets did not use aerial refueling support — some were equipped with three external fuel tanks, while the others carried two underwing tanks. Additionally, the Typhoons flying with fewer fuel tanks were fitted with Rafael Litening electro-optical pods, which are used during Air Policing missions for airspace observation and tracking the movements of suspicious aircraft. Each British Typhoon also carried a pair of MBDA AIM-132 ASRAAM short-range air-to-air missiles, the standard close-range armament for the RAF.
Prior to the Typhoons’ redeployment, at least two Airbus A400M Atlas medium transport aircraft had flown to Królewo Malborskie to deliver part of the necessary equipment. On March 25, the British also sent a heavy Boeing C-17 Globemaster III to Poland, which delivered another shipment of ground support equipment.
One of the British Eurofighters landing in Królewo Malborskie / Photo by: Radosław Niesobski
A day later, despite challenging weather conditions, Swedish Saab JAS 39C/D Gripen fighters also arrived in Królewo Malborskie. This deployment likewise involved six aircraft. For Sweden, this marks the first air mission following the country’s accession to NATO. In contrast to the British redeployment, specific details regarding the Swedish flight remain limited, as it could not be tracked via publicly available flight tracking apps. It is known, however, that last week a Swedish C-130H Hercules landed in Królewo Malborskie, delivering part of the necessary equipment. The remaining cargo most likely arrived in Poland via ferries operating on the regular Karlskrona–Gdynia route.
On March 26, Swedish JAS 39C/D Gripen fighters also arrived in Królewo Malborskie / Photo by: Försvarsmakten
The presence of two foreign contingents in Królewo Malborskie has posed a significant logistical challenge. The Polish side had to prepare the necessary ground infrastructure, including two permanent hangars—one for each contingent. Additionally, eight lightweight hangars were erected on the apron areas to serve as shelters for mission-ready combat aircraft. The remaining hangars will most likely serve as reserves.
The international mission history of the 22nd Air Base in Królewo Malborskie began in 2014, following the outbreak of the first phase of the war in Ukraine, which destabilized the security situation in this part of Europe. The first contingent was deployed by France, operating Dassault Rafale fighters. Since then, the base has hosted forces from Belgium (F-16), the Netherlands (F-16 and F-35), Turkey (F-16), Portugal (F-16), and Italy (F-35 and Eurofighter), among others.
For Sweden, this is the first mission of its kind following the country’s accession to NATO. Interestingly, the initial plan was to redeploy eight aircraft / Photo by: Försvarsmakten
