The Eurofighter Typhoon of the 51st Wing Air Task Force, redeployed to Romania, They took off from Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, near Constanța, in response to an alert issued in the north-eastern part of the country.
The intervention of the two Italian fighter jets, coordinated with the F-16 of the Romanian Air Force, took place within the framework of the Operation Enhanced Air Policing – Southern Area, designated ‘Black Storm II’, with the aim of guaranteeing the safety and integrity of the Atlantic Alliance's airspace.
The immediate take-off order, known as an ‘alpha scramble’, was issued by Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) of NATO in Torrejon, in response to a series of activities carried out by drones of the Russian Federation over Ukrainian port infrastructure in the south-western area.’Ukraine, near the border.
Guided by the Control Reporting Centre (CRC) in Balotești, Italian assets monitored Romania's northern border, particularly in the Tulcea area, with the objective of locating and tracking any drones approaching the airspace of NATO. After hours of joint patrol with Romanian aircraft, the state of alert was lifted around 5 a.m.
Air policing missions are an essential element of collective defence for’North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, guaranteeing constant airspace surveillance 24 hours a day.
The’Italian Air Force The Italian [participant] takes part in activities in Romania with its own assets, operating under the direction of the Interforce Summit Operational Command for national aspects and under the operational control of the NATO CAOC for international activities.
