"France will deploy four Rafale fighter jets in Lithuania under a NATO mandate from November 25. They will fulfill tasks for the protection of airspace over the Baltic countries," the ministry said in a statement.
In early October, defense minister Sebastien Lecornu reported that France plans to boost its military presence in Eastern Europe within the framework of NATO due to the intensified hostilities in Ukraine. He announced that Paris would send more Rafale fighter jets to Lithuania, troops to Estonia, and tanks and armored personnel carriers to Romania.