Overview
- Two Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35s took off from Volkel air base under a Quick Reaction Alert after radar detected an unidentified object.
- The Ministry of Defence said the object was a drone that did not pose a direct threat and exited Dutch airspace, and air traffic continued normally.
- Authorities have not identified who operated the drone, and it did not transmit identification by radio or transponder.
- The Netherlands and Belgium alternate QRA duties to guard Benelux airspace, with the Dutch currently on rotation.
- The scramble follows recent drone sightings over Volkel and disruptions at Eindhoven Airport, and comes as NATO forces in Poland raised air readiness during large Russian strikes on Ukraine.