Dutch F-35 Registers First Combat Kill Against Russian Drone Over Poland
The Royal Netherlands Air Force confirmed its first combat victory with the F-35A Lightning II after downing a Russian unmanned aerial vehicle over Poland, the Dutch Ministry of Defense announced Sept. 30.
Images released by the ministry show an F-35 stealth fighter, tail number F-027 from the 313th Squadron, currently deployed in Poland under NATO’s enhanced Air Policing mission, displaying a new drone-shaped kill mark just below the cockpit. The marking resembles the triangular delta-wing design of the one-way attack drones used by Russia.
The shootdown likely occurred in September, when Poland reported more or less 20 Russian drones crossing its airspace, prompting a coordinated NATO response.
The ministry did not disclose the date of the engagement or the weapon used. The F-35A is typically armed with AIM-9X and AIM-120C missiles, or its GAU-22/A 25 mm gun, for air-to-air operations.
Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans, visiting the Dutch F-35 detachment on Sept. 29, said that by deploying F-35s in Poland, the Netherlands demonstrates that the country, alongside its allies, remains fully prepared to counter Russia’s “reckless aggression.”
