The Turkish Air Force, replaced by the British Air Force

Allied enhanced air police mission in Romania

Eugen Nasta, 03.04.2024, 02:00

The Turkish Air Force Detachment has concluded its mission in our country. 80 military with four F-16 aircrafts for four months running have carried enhanced air patrol missions jointly with the Romanian Air Force, under NATO command.

The mission’s closing ceremony was held at the 86 Airbase in Fetesti (in the South-east). Attending the ceremony was the deputy for operations of the Turkish Air Force Commander, major-general Kemal Turan. The Turkish general said, QUOTE, the joint training stages are part of the training the two armies’ pilots and the Alliance can adapt to any type of conflict, be they high or low-intensity, conventional or non-conventional. UNQUOTE.

Also attending the ceremony was the deputy of the Romanian Defense Chief of Staff, lieutenant-general Dragos Iacob. The Romanian general said, QUOTE the presence of the Turkish Air Force Detachment is a clear proof of NATO partners’ common will to work together under the umbrella of the greatest defensive alliance, UNQUOTE.

Meanwhile, six Eurofighter Typhoon aircrafts of the British Air Force have reached the 57 Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase in Constanta County (in the south-east). For the next four months, 200 British military will be in our country for Enhanced Air Police missions. It is the fifth rotation of the British Air Force capabilities for such missions, after those carried in 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2022.

A new facility is soon to be added to the Brasov International Airport (central Romania) meant to support the activity of NATO forces. Those responsible for the objective jointly with the allied combat Group in Cincu seek to develop, earlier than May this year, a landing airport that would enable the landing of big-size military aircrafts.

For the first time since the Aigle Mission has been established in Romania, a military logistics support aircraft has landed at the Brasov airport. The aircraft is a French Army Boeing C130. The creation of a new landing airport entails certain improvements in keeping with the current logistic challenges. The airport has the role of reducing the delivery time. At present, the military of the Combat Group deployed in Cincu (central Romania) use the Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase in Constanta, in the south-east, lying at ten hours’ drive with military vehicles.

The deputy of the commander of the Multinational South-east Division Headquarters and Senior National Representative of the French Army in Romania, brigade general Loïc Girard has been on a working visit in Cluj-Napoca (in the northwest). The French general had a meeting with the Commander of the 4th Infantry Division, Major General Bogdan Cernat and Brigade general Nicolae Oros, the commander of the 61 Mountain Hunters brigade, a Romanian army unit with which the French allies carry regular joint training exercises.

The three officials analyzed the interoperability development opportunities between the Romanian and the French troops, through training exercises carried by the NATO Combat group in Romania, currently under French command, and various army structures in our country.

Romanian and Foreign military as part of the NATO Forces Integration Unit in Romania and their families got together in Bucharest for a charity fair, organized on the premises at the Southeast Multinational Division Headquarters, to celebrate NATO’s 75th anniversary. As part of a makeshift bazaar, militaries sold various handmade objects. The funds raised were donated to the Casa Buna(Good House) non-governmental organization.

Casa Buna is an NGO supporting children coming from underprivileged families in their bid to go to school and complete their studies. Also attending the event were military of the Advanced Command Element of the French Brigade stationed in Romania’s capital city.