Italian Eurofighters to enhance Air Policing capabilities over Romania

The Italian Air Force is scheduled to deploy fighter aircraft to Romania under NATO’s enhanced Air Policing flying alongside the Romanian Air Force. From early May until the end of August, four Italian Air Force Eurofighter aircraft will be deployed to Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in south east Romania augmenting and flying alongside the Romanian Air Force MiG-21 fighters to police the skies over the country adjacent to the Black Sea.

The deployment will take place within the framework of NATO’s enhanced Air Policing, which was introduced to the northeastern and southeastern Allies as an element of the Alliance’s Assurance Measures in 2014 in response to Russia’s illegal activities in Ukraine. The 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.