Norwegian F-35 fighter jets were scrambled on March 10 and March 11, 2026, to identify Russian military aircraft flying in international airspace off Finnmark, as NATO’s Cold Response 2026 exercise gets underway in the High North.
The Norwegian Armed Forces said both missions involved an Ilyushin Il-20M reconnaissance aircraft, known by NATO as the Coot-A.
Two scrambles in two days
According to the Norwegian Armed Forces, the March 11 aircraft was detected by Norwegian sensors at around 09:30 local time with its transponder switched off. Two F-35s on Quick Reaction Alert, or QRA, launched from Evenes Air Station, identified the aircraft and shadowed it along the Norwegian coast before it turned north off Vesterålen. The Il-20M then reportedly flew south twice more, reaching as far as Lofoten, before returning to the Kola Peninsula around 13:30.
The March 10 mission followed a similar pattern. Norwegian authorities said another Il-20M flew in international airspace off Finnmark and was met by two F-35s, which identified and shadowed the aircraft before it turned north from Sørøya and returned to the Kola Peninsula around noon.
The Ilyushin Il-20M, NATO reporting name Coot-A, is a Soviet-era signals intelligence and reconnaissance aircraft derived from the Il-18 airliner and powered by four turboprop engines.Built to collect electronic and communications intelligence, along with imagery, it is often used for standoff surveillance missions near NATO airspace.
Norway described the back-to-back scrambles as routine and said there was “nothing unusual or dramatic” about the flights, particularly as Cold Response 2026 is now underway in northern Norway. Officials said the Russian missions were most likely intended to gather situational awareness on allied activity linked to the exercise.
Norwegian sensors detected Russian Il‑20M aircraft off Finnmark Coast Tuesday and today. NOR F‑35s from Evenes scrambled, identified and shadowed them. Expected activity during #ColdResponse26, but we maintain awareness and control. We see them, and we follow them. #WeAreNATO pic.twitter.com/Ny1Yez31UZ
— Norwegian Armed Forces | Forsvaret (@Forsvaret_no) March 11, 2026
NATO’s Cold Response 2026 exercise
Cold Response 2026 runs from March 9 to March 19, 2026, and is Norway’s largest military exercise of the year. The Norwegian Armed Forces say it brings together 32,500 participants from 14 nations across Norway, Finland, and adjacent maritime and air areas. It is designed to train allied forces for high-intensity operations in Arctic conditions, with a focus on deterrence, interoperability, and demonstrating NATO’s ability to defend its northern flank. Norway has also framed this year’s edition within its broader “total defense” approach, giving civilian preparedness a more visible role alongside the military dimension.
The QRA mission in the Nordic and Arctic region falls under the responsibility of Combined Air Operations Centre Bodø. Norwegian authorities say their fighter aircraft carry out around 40 such missions each year. Norway’s F-35s have been responsible for the country’s QRA mission from Evenes since January 2022, when they formally replaced the F-16 in the role after 42 years of service.