NATO fighter jets were scrambled over twice as many times in July 2026 as they were during the same period last year, the NATO Allied Joint Force Command in Eastern and Central Europe reported on Aug. 5. The report follows an uptick in unregistered Russian military flights near NATO's eastern border. Russian military aircraft repeatedly flew close to NATO airspace without a flight plan and transponder signal, leaving our fighters to launch, intercept, and identify them." NATO countries regularly dispatch fighter jets in response to suspicious Russian military activity. The aircraft is equipped with radar and signal intelligence systems designed to gather information on military infrastructure and communications networks.