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Eight Spanish Air Force F-18 Hornet arrived at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in Romania to commence their four-month NATO enhanced Air Policing mission.
The detachment of 150 military personnel from the Spanish Air and Space Forces will support NATO’s Air Policing missions, patrolling and training alongside the Romanian Air Force. The Spanish F-18 detachment replaced the Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon’s, who return to the United Kingdom concluding their four-month rotation.
The certification ceremony was held on August, 6, attended by the Minister of National Defence, Angel Tîlvar, who emphasised the necessity for continuous adaptation to the evolving regional security environment. Stating “We must remain agile in the face of changes in the security landscape confronting the Alliance, and we must send a strong, unequivocal message to the public; we are united under the umbrella of the largest defence alliance, working together to protect the airspace of NATO’s southeastern flank — a region with a complex security architecture, particularly following the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022.”
The ceremony was also attended by the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Gheorghita Vlad, His Excellency José Antonio Pérez-Solórzano, the Ambassador of Spain to Romania, Lieutenant General Juan Pablo Sánchez de Lara, Commander of CAOC Torréjon and Major General Leonard Baraboi, Chief of Staff of the Romanian Air Force.
Enhanced Air Policing is part of NATO’s assurance measures introduced in 2014, after Russia’s illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. The Alliance implemented these assurance measures to demonstrate the collective resolve of Allies, to demonstrate the defensive nature of NATO, and to deter Russia from aggression or the threat of aggression.
Deployments under enhanced Air Policing are planned in advance and rotate among NATO Allies. They ensure collective deterrence and defence, protecting and securing the integrity of NATO’s airspace.
