Romanian and Allied fighter aircraft performed two real air police missions between Feb. 17-19, the Romanian Air Force reported on Sunday.
F-16 Fighting Falcon and MiG-21 Lancer aircraft were scrambled to execute the missions which took place within Romanian airspace. “The direction, control and coordination of the mission were managed by the air traffic controllers within the Air Operations Center,” a statement from the Romanian Air Force revealed.
“The NATO Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) Torrejón (in Spain) has ordered the take-off of aircraft in the Air Force combat service in Romania under NATO command,” the statement read.
The decision was made following the detection of “air activities” over the Black Sea, outside of the national airspace.
“The Romanian military aircraft performed air patrols and then returned to the basic aerodrome to restore flight capacity,” it added.
Currently, the Romanian Air Force is carrying out enhanced Air Policing missions under NATO command alongside Italian, German and U.S. air forces, aiming to increase interoperability among NATO members.
The joint air police missions contribute to the development of responsiveness and deterrence, the Air Force said.
