October 4, 2025

History was made high above Poland when a Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter did something never done before by a NATO combat aircraft—shooting down Russian pilotless drones! This amazing fighter proudly carries a special white triangular kill mark just below its cockpit. This mark looks just like the Geran-2 drone it took down, a model copied from Iran’s HESA Shahed 136. Only one Dutch F-35A carries this mark, and it’s the fighter with tail number F-027. Pictures released by the Netherlands Ministry of Defense on September 30, 2025, reveal this drama-packed moment in NATO air defense history. The Ministry shared, “The F-35 fighter jets in Poland will be in the country from September 1st to December 1st to contribute to the protection of the NATO treaty area. Dutch pilots have already seen action several times, including once using weapons to shoot down Russian drones.” The Netherlands is ready to ramp up defenses further by sending Patriots, Nasams, and anti-drone systems starting December to guard key spots supporting Ukraine. According to Business Insider, the Dutch Ministry confirmed the F-35 got a kill mark “after taking out multiple drones in Polish Airspace in September,” though they did not say how many exactly. The trouble began when a swarm of Russian Geran-2 drones invaded Polish skies on September 9-10, 2025. Polish F-16s and NATO jets, including those cool stealthy F-35s, scrambled to stop the drone threat. The showdown happened over Lublin province. The Dutch F-35A locked onto a Geran-2 drone and blasted it from the sky. The drone wreckage fell to the ground and was confirmed Russian. This marked not only the first confirmed drone kill by a Dutch F-35A but also NATO’s first combat action against Russian aerial threats! F-027 had taken off from Poland’s Łask Air Base on a NATO Air Policing mission. This brave fighter jet’s historic victory shows how NATO is defending Europe’s skies with futuristic technology and jaw-dropping skill. What a thrilling leap for the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force—and a clear warning to those who dare challenge NATO’s airspace!

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Tags: F-35a lightning ii, Nato, Russian drones, Royal netherlands air force, Geran-2, Poland,