NATO reported neutralizing incoming ballistic missiles from Iran during defensive operations in early March 2025. These operations occurred in the Eastern Mediterranean and over Turkish airspace.

The defensive actions safeguarded member borders without any casualties. Incidents involving incoming ballistic missiles from Iran took place on March 4, March 9, March 13, and March 30. Western officials indicated some Iranian missiles appeared aimed at the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey’s southern Adana province, where NATO personnel operate.

NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) program was used to counter these air and missile threats. The IAMD mission is a continuous collective defense effort to protect Alliance territory, populations, and forces against air and missile threats. The system connects national and NATO sensors, command and control facilities, and weapons systems. Ballistic missile defense is coupled with air policing, a peacetime mission where fighter jets intercept aircraft that do not follow international flight regulations or pose a threat to civilian airspace.

NATO has deployed approximately 130 combat aircraft to fortify the air domain of its eastern flank. The organization also launched the multi-domain Operation Eastern Sentry, which brings in advanced assets from allied nations to patrol, enforce airspace integrity, and intercept Russian drones and jets. NATO has expanded its permanent peacetime air policing mission, maintaining a continuous presence of fighters and crews. The F-35 aircraft leads NATO’s response to both Russia and Iran; multiple NATO nations are already using the F-35 in current missions.

Why It Matters

The reported engagement with Iranian ballistic missiles demonstrates NATO's Integrated Air and Missile Defense program in operation. The program is designed to detect and counter threats from various strategic directions, ranging from micro-drones to hypersonic missiles. Developments in the Alliance's air defense capabilities include investments in fifth-generation technology, specifically the F-35 joint strike fighter, with capabilities expanding over the coming decade.

NATO's air activities align with the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) Concept of Deterrence and defense of the Euro-Atlantic Area (DDA). The organization relies on its own organic command and control capabilities via the NATO Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities through the NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) Force. The AGS force utilizes a fleet of five high-altitude, long-endurance RQ-4D “Phoenix” remotely piloted aircraft. These aircraft are adapted from the US Air Force Global Hawk Block 40 and are capable of flying for up to thirty hours, carrying advanced radar sensors to track moving objects and capture imagery in all weather conditions.