RAMSTEIN, Germany – The British
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon announced Monday that Royal Air Force Typhoon
fast jets will deploy to Romania from May for the UK's contribution to NATO’s
enhanced Air Policing mission in the Southern Region. Four Typhoon jets from
RAF Coningsby will be based at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in south east
Romania for up to four months, working side-by-side with the Romanian Air Force
to police the skies over the Black Sea.
NATO’s enhanced Air Policing is one element of
the Alliance’s Assurance Measures introduced in 2014 in response to Russia’s
illegal activities in Ukraine. The goal has been to demonstrate collective
resolve of Allies and NATO’s flexible capabilities and readiness.
The Romanian Air Force flies F-16 fast jets
under NATO Air Policing controlled by Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC)
Torrejon, Spain. The British RAF Typhoons are going to augment the Romanian Air
Policing assets and will conduct sorties in concert with one another.
Overseen by Allied Air Command at Ramstein, Germany, NATO Air Policing
is conducted over all
Allies in Europe from Northern Norway to the Azores and the eastern parts of
Turkey. The mission is controlled by two CAOCs (one at Torrejon, the other at
Uedem, Germany).
This important peacetime mission involves the use of the Air
Surveillance and Control System (ASACS), Air Command and Control (Air C2) and
appropriate air assets, so called Quick Reaction Air (Intercept) or QRA(I) fast
jets. It is a fundamental
component of how NATO provides security to its members.
Story by Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office