In a NATO surveillance plane some 10,000 metres above eastern Poland, air force officers from a half dozen countries scanned screens for any sign of Russian aircraft breaching the alliance's borders.

The threat was laid bare Friday when two Russian fighters violated Estonian airspace for 12 minutes, forcing NATO to scramble jets and sparking consternation across Europe.

Now the skies appeared calmer -- but the crew remained attentive.

"If there is any air threat to NATO we want to make sure we detect it as quickly as possible," Lieutenant Colonel Mike Belizaire, a German officer, told AFP journalists granted exclusive access to the flight.

"Our mission is to provide an early warning so it gives more time to the authorised commanders to decide how they choose to respond."

The intrusion

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