Italian Eurofighter air policing scrambles

In mid‑July 2026 the Italian Air Force launched two Eurofighter F‑2000 jets from its 4ᵗʰ Stormo in Grosseto to intercept a civilian airliner that had lost radio contact while crossing Italy. The fighters restored communications, verified there were no safety concerns, and then allowed the aircraft to continue to Luxembourg.

A few weeks later, on 3 August 2026, the same type of aircraft was deployed from the Italian NATO task force “Baltic Thunder III” based at Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania. Acting on orders from NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre, the Eurofighters intercepted two Russian military planes flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea and escorted them in accordance with NATO procedures. The two events illustrate Italy’s dual role in national air‑policing and in NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, highlighting the readiness and flexibility of its Eurofighter fleet in both domestic and alliance‑wide security operations.