Russian incursions into NATO airspace: 42 missions by Italian fighter jets so far this year
The Joint Forces Operational Commander (COVI), Lieutenant General Giovanni Maria Iannucci, addressed a joint hearing of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies’ Foreign Affairs and Defence Committees as part of the examination of measures relating to international missions
Key points
The Scramble (literally ‘to rush’, ‘to rush’)) is NATO’s air defence operational procedure which involves the immediate take-off of a pair of interceptor fighter aircraft to identify and, if necessary, intercept an unknown or potentially hostile aircraft that has entered, or is about to enter, the airspace protected by the Alliance. It is the primary means by which the territorial integrity of the Atlantic Alliance’s airspace is defended every single day, 24 hours a day.
Speaking on Wednesday 1 July at a hearing before the Joint Foreign Affairs and Defence Committees of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies as part of the examination of measures relating to international missions, the Joint Forces Operational Commander (COVI), Lieutenant General Giovanni Maria Iannucci explained that ‘in practical terms, the operations carried out – to give you some points of reference – have led to the execution of 74 “Alfa Scrambles” in 2025 – essentially, real-alert missions managed by NATO’s air command and control chain – and 42, yes, 42 so far in 2026 alone. All of this, of course, is to monitor activity and incursions – mostly by Russia – into allied airspace.”
In August, Italia will deploy 180 military personnel and 4 Eurofighters to Lithuania
With specific reference to Air Policing for 2026 – that is, NATO’s permanent collective defence mission consisting of patrolling, monitoring and protecting the integrity of the airspace of all Alliance countries – Iannucci said that ‘rotational deployments are planned in Estonia – which, as I have just mentioned, concluded in March 2026 – in Romania, where the mission is currently underway, and in Lithuania. The deployment in Estonia has just ended, whilst in Romania we have one of our Air Task Groups deployed in Constanța’. The head of COVI announced that, from August, Italia will deploy its own task force to Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania “with a contingent of around 180 military personnel and four Eurofighter aircraft”.
Iannucci: ‘Three proposals for Lebanon from the UN; we will support its presence’
Among the various issues addressed in the speech was Lebanon. “The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has put forward three proposals – three possible models for an evolving UN presence in Lebanon,” the general explained. “We are seeing a very strong request from the Lebanese government for a UN force, of varying size, to help build greater stability. We, too, believe that a UN presence is necessary and we will certainly support it and back its development through the appropriate channels,” concluded Iannucci.
