Nato spy planes and jamming aircraft converge in Polish airspace near Russian enclave

Multiple Nato aircraft gathered in Polish airspace earlier this week for a previously unannounced exercise close to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. 

The activity was initially picked up by OSINT accounts on X, who picked up on the concentration of aircraft using flight tracking data.

The exercise was later confirmed by a US Air Force spokesperson, who said: "The multi-day air integration beginning Aug 18 exemplifies interoperability, readiness, and deterrence."

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US Air Force EA-37B Compass Call, KC-135 Stratotanker, F-35 Lightning II, F-15E Strike Eagle, and F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft participated in the exercise, the spokesperson added.

The EA-37B Compass Call, which uses the callsign Shock55, is a US electronic warfare aircraft designed to disrupt enemy command and control communications and navigation systems. It's able to jam radars and electronic systems, and disrupt enemy ability to coordinate sensors and defences. 

"The EA-37B has operated and trained in the European theatre before," the USAF spokesperson confirmed.

A spokesperson for Nato's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe said the exercise also involved "US and Norwegian fighter aircraft, Polish ground forces, a Nato E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) and more".

Nato aircraft operated very close to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, where Moscow houses large drone jammers. It's previously been named as one of the locations from which Russia could launch ground troops into alliance territory.