On March 6, the Romanian Air Force deployed one of their C-27J Spartan military transport aircraft for combined training missions with F-16 fighter jets from Romania and Türkiye, based at Fetesti Air Base, French Dassault Rafale aircraft, currently stationed there joined the missions. In the morning of the training day, Romanian and Turkish F-16s conducted interception training with the transport aircraft that took off from Otopeni Air Base; the activity’s goal was to enhance skills of both the jet and transport aircraft pilots. In the afternoon, at Fetesti Air Base, the Turkish F-16s conducted training scrambles simulating the alarm chain from fighter preparation to take-off for an intercept.
“Since 2014, Romania has hosted NATO enhanced Air Policing of fighter detachments from eight Allies and – now – Türkiye at its air bases near the Black Sea Coast. This has been a major contribution to NATO’s collective effort to show its commitment to collective deterrence and defence and the close cohesion among Allies. We are very pleased to host the one-week French Agile Combat Employment (ACE) of Rafale fighter jets at Fetesti in addition to the Turkish and Romanian F-16 detachments. This is another chance to demonstrate our professional skills as a Host Nation including for short-duration expeditionary deployments,” said Captain Cornel Pavel, Romanian Navy, deputy head of the Information and Public Relation Directorate of the Romanian Ministry of Defence.
After taking off, they were joined by Romanian F-16s and French Rafale fighters for a session of air-to-air combat drills over the Romanian Black Sea coast near Constan?a. About 50 international media had the opportunity to observe the demonstration – some of them flew to Fetesti onboard the C-27 aircraft and witnessed first-hand how NATO interception procedures are executed. Fetesti Air Base – Romania’s 86th Air Base – is home to a squadron of F-16s and also hosts the F-16 training centre for Romanian and other NATO pilots. Until the end of March, a Turkish Air Force detachment is deployed at the base with four F-16 jets for NATO’s enhanced Air Policing; the jets fly sorties alongside their Romanian colleagues to safeguard NATO airspace on the eastern flank.
The French Rafale detachment deployed to Fetesti for a five-day Agile Combat Employment (ACE) during which jets participate in combined training with regional air and ground forces supporting NATO’s force posture on the Black Sea shores in Romania. Several NATO Allies conduct ACE deployments across Europe to practice expeditionary capabilities projecting a force package at short notice with minimum own support relying on services provided by the receiving airfield. The ACE concept is a force multiplier for NATO’s Air Forces as it increases agility, interoperability, readiness, survivability and continuity of air operations.
