Spanish Air Force - Air Police Missions at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base

Spanish Air Force pilots have taken over the baton at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base from British and Finnish pilots to carry out NATO-led Enhanced Air Policing missions alongside Romanian military personnel.

For four months, eight Spanish F18 Hornet aircraft, together with Romanian Air Force F16s, will patrol the Black Sea region to ensure the security of Romanian and NATO airspace.

The Spanish pilots are on their third rotation at "Mihail Kogalniceanu", where NATO has deployed allied forces since the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 to ensure security in the Black Sea area, an area with more complex challenges after the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine.

Having flown alongside the British and Finns for the past four months, Romanian pilots will carry out reinforced air policing missions on the Alliance's Eastern Flank in the coming period alongside the Spanish.

Commander Nicolae Cretu of the 57th Air Base "Mihail Kogalniceanu": The main objective is deterrence. The result of each soldier's work is materialized.

The Spanish detachment, composed of 150 military, pilots, technical personnel and eight F18 Hornet aircraft, received the certification from the NATO Combined Air Operations Center in Torrejon.

Lieutenant-Colonel Rafael Iceaso, commander of the detachment: "We have shown the determination of the Spanish to contribute to the protection of NATO airspace, alongside our allies. We have high-performance aircraft and we are very well prepared for this mission. The Spanish Air Force will provide the next two rotations, with another Iberian detachment to take over in November for another four months at Mihail Kogalniceanu".

Translated by: Radu Matei