Italian Eurofighters to enhance Air Policing capabilities over Romania
Deployment will take place within the framework of NATO’s enhanced Air Policing.
Articol de Radiojurnal, 01 Mai 2019, 21:15
Four Italian Air Force Eurofighter aircraft and 130 soldiers have been deployed at Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base in south east Romania to defend Romania's airspace for three months starting with 1st of May 2019. Italian Air Force will join Romanian Air Force MIG-21 fighters and will police the skies over Romania adjacent to the Black Sea.
Deployment will take place within the framework of NATO’s enhanced Air Policing, which was introduced to the northeastern and southeastern Allies. Joint Allied missions demonstrate the collective resolve of Allies and NATO’s flexible capabilities and readiness.
The 130-strong Italian Eurofighter detachment will be led by Colonel Andrea Fazi and can draw on experience gathered during a four-month enhanced Air Policing deployment to Bulgaria in 2017.
Overseen by Allied Air Command at Ramstein, Germany, and controlled by Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) Torrejon in Spain, the Romanian Air Force conducts NATO Air Policing with their MiG-21 fighter aircraft. The Italian Air Force Eurofighters will augment the Romanian Air Policing assets and will conduct sorties in concert with one another.
Italian military pilots will remain in Constanța until August this year.
Romanian Air Force fighters are frequently launched to intercept Russian aircraft flying near NATO airspace.
Source: Radio Romania News, Public Affairs Office of NATO’s Air Command. Translated by Miruna Matei
