Madrid has proposed deploying fighters, a transport aircraft and a radar to a new NATO mission on the Alliance’s eastern flank.

Spain’s government has offered three Eurofighter Typhoons, an A400M transport plane and a ground radar to NATO’s Eastern Sentry operation, aimed at reinforcing the Alliance’s eastern flank after Russian drones entered the airspace of Poland and Romania, according to defence sources.

NATO secretary general Mark Rutte announced the initiative last week, saying it would begin in the coming days and include measures tailored to counter unmanned systems alongside more traditional capabilities. The focus is to tighten air surveillance and strengthen deterrence along the borderlands nearest to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Spanish defence sources said Madrid would not dispatch a surface-to-air missile battery at this stage. They added that the basing of the Spanish contingent had yet to be settled, with Poland and Romania among the options under discussion.

The NATO Military Committee met on Friday to assemble national contributions, including Spain’s, though final decisions could be delayed. The Spanish government had earlier signalled on social media that it would increase its role in surveillance and control missions in line with Allied planning.

The move underscores a broader push by NATO members to bolster air defences and reassure eastern Allies following repeated airspace incursions and debris incidents since Russia escalated strikes on Ukraine.

Source: La Vanguardia.