Swedish Gripen fighters begin protecting Poland's Rzeszów-Jasionka logistics hub for Ukraine

October 1, 2026 at 02:05 PM3 min

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Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighters began contributing to the protection of the Rzeszów-Jasionka logistics hub supplying Ukraine on October 1, 2026. The mission will last two months and will be conducted by aircraft and personnel from the Blekinge Air Wing (F 17), based at Ronneby in southern Sweden. The deployment adds another layer to the air defenses around the hub, which is Poland's main transshipment point for military equipment heading to Ukraine.

Key Facts

The Swedish mission will last two months and will be conducted by aircraft and personnel from the Blekinge Air Wing (F 17), based at Ronneby in southern Sweden.
The Gripens will operate primarily from Sweden, supported by a smaller forward base in Poland.
During operations, the Swedish contingent will come under NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) at Uedem, Germany.
The facility being protected is POLLOGHUB at Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport (RZE), which lies roughly 80 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
As of September 24, 2026, two Dutch Patriot systems protected the airport area alongside Polish assets as part of NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU).

Swedish Deployment

Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighters began contributing to the protection of the Rzeszów-Jasionka logistics hub supplying Ukraine from October 1, 2026. The Swedish Armed Forces said the mission will last two months and will be conducted by aircraft and personnel from the Blekinge Air Wing (F 17), based at Ronneby in southern Sweden. The Gripens will operate primarily from Sweden, supported by a smaller forward base in Poland. During operations, the Swedish contingent will come under NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) at Uedem, Germany. Defence Minister Pål Jonson cited the security situation and repeated violations of NATO airspace as reasons for maintaining high military readiness on the alliance’s eastern flank.

Logistics Hub Protection

The facility being protected is POLLOGHUB at Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport (RZE), Poland’s main transshipment point for military equipment and other assistance heading to Ukraine. Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz visited the hub and its air defenses on September 24, 2026, describing its role as coordinating and transiting military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The airport lies roughly 80 kilometers (around 50 miles) from the Ukrainian border and has been a central part of the supply chain supporting Kyiv since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. As of Kosiniak-Kamysz’s visit, two Dutch Patriot systems protected the airport area alongside Polish assets as part of NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU). The Netherlands extended the Patriot deployment until early December 2026, while the NASAMS and counter-drone systems it deployed in December 2025 returned home in June 2026.

Allied Air Activity

Allied air activity over Poland has increased following a series of Russian incursions and suspected incursions around NATO’s eastern border. After Russian drones entered Polish airspace on the night of September 9 to 10, 2025, NATO launched Operation Eastern Sentry to reinforce the alliance’s eastern flank. The mission is familiar territory for the Blekinge Air Wing, which provided Sweden’s contribution to the NATO air defense operation protecting the hub between June and August 2025.