Flurry of NATO activity in Baltic region aimed at deterrence, US officials say

The United States is leading a large-scale NATO air exercise this week along the alliance’s northeastern flank, drawing the attention of defense experts and flight-tracking analysts because of the size and combination of assets involved.

The flight paths Tuesday of a variety of NATO aircraft were logged over Poland and the Baltic region, including near Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave situated between Lithuania and Poland on the Baltic Sea.

The range of capabilities on display included combat strike, refueling, air surveillance and electronic warfare, according to U.S. officials and flight-tracking data.

Col. Martin O’Donnell, spokesman for Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, said the training Tuesday included U.S. and Norwegian fighter aircraft, Polish ground forces and a NATO E-3A AWACS plane.

The AWACS acts as a flying command center and radar station. Flight-tracking site Italmilradar traced its flight path over northern Poland.

A NATO E-3 Sentry flies during an aerial refueling mission over Spain on July 2, 2025. The aircraft was involved in a large-scale, U.S.-led NATO exercise over Poland and the Baltic region on Aug. 18, 2026, according to alliance officials. (Aidan Martinez/U.S. Air Force)

The flurry of NATO activity in the Baltic comes amid recent drone incursions into allied territory and heightened security concerns in the region.

A new U.S. intelligence report suggests that Russian President Vladimir Putin is testing NATO vulnerabilities in preparation for a limited attack on an allied country in the next few years, The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month.

Observer estimates of the number of aircraft involved in the exercise Wednesday ranged from 25 to 50 but those numbers could not be verified. Officials declined to say how many there were due to security considerations.

Allies are “constantly honing their defensive abilities,” O’Donnell said Wednesday.

Italmilradar also noted the presence of aerial refuelers and a U.S. Air Force EA-37B Compass Call operating near Kaliningrad on the Baltic side.

Flight tracking site Open Source Intel reported observing more NATO air activity in the region Wednesday, including three AWACS aircraft and several aerial refueling tankers, primarily around Kaliningrad near the Baltic Sea.

A USAFE official confirmed late Wednesday that the training is scheduled for multiple days.

A U.S. EA-37B Compass Call aircraft takes flight on July 10, 2026. The aircraft was involved in a large-scale, U.S.-led NATO exercise over Poland and the Baltic region on Aug. 18, 2026. (Samantha Melecio)

Olga Lautman, a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, said the EA-37B’s participation around Kaliningrad was notable.

The aircraft is “designed to disrupt communications, radar, and navigation systems, capabilities that would be crucial in any confrontation with Russia,” Lautman wrote Wednesday on her Substack.

The aircraft flew from Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete and landed at Powidz, Poland, according to Italmilradar.

From there, the Compass Call continued north and remained over northern Poland, west of the Kaliningrad region for about two hours, before returning to Souda Bay.

Russia recently has increased its naval activity in the region. On Monday, one of its most advanced warships, the Admiral Kasatonov, was spotted passing the German island of Fehmarn as it headed out of the Baltic.

The frigate is capable of carrying Zircon hypersonic missiles, which can be armed with conventional or nuclear warheads that can be difficult to intercept.

Lautman said there’s no evidence the NATO exercise was in response to Russia’s naval movements, as the alliance routinely conducts surveillance and training exercises in the region.

“But it is worth paying attention to as warnings about Russia continue to grow louder and more frequent,” she said.