Home  /  Newsroom  /  2021  /  Romanian Airspace Battle Managers visit NATO Air Policing detachment

RAMSTEIN, Germany – Romanian Air Force controllers, visited Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base to meet the RAF pilots and personnel they work with during NATO Quick Reaction Alert sorties controlled from the Control Reporting Centre CRYSTAL.

Romanian Air Force controllers from the CRC CRYSTAL in Bucharest who direct the deployed RAF Typhoons when they are in the air during their NATO enhanced Air Policing mission have visited the RAF's 121 Expeditionary Air Wing. Their meeting gave the Romanian AF personnel a greater understanding of how the RAF and their Typhoons are operating to deliver the NATO enhanced Air Policing mission in Romania.

are very happy to be working closely alongside the RAF who are supporting us in the NATO enhanced Air Policing mission

"As NATO celebrates 60 years of Air Policing we are proud to be a part of it and are very happy to be working closely alongside the RAF who are supporting us in the NATO enhanced Air Policing mission," said Romanian Air Force Master Controller, Commander Dumitru Bucatariu. 

Their meeting gave the RoAF personnel a greater understanding of how the RAF and their Typhoons are operating to deliver the NATO enhanced Air Policing mission in Romania. Throughout the RAF deployment since April 2021 the RAF staff have been working alongside their Romanian counterparts to provide tactical control to the RAF Typhoon jets and Romanian fighters. 

Throughout the RAF deployment since April 2021 the RAF staff have been working alongside their Romanian counterparts to provide tactical control to the RAF Typhoon jets and Romanian fighters scrambled to intercept suspect aircraft or conducting other missions.

"We are delighted to be working alongside our Romanian allies. Throughout our time working in CRC CRYSTAL supporting the enhanced Air Policing mission, we have learnt a lot, refined our working practices and made some lasting friendships," said Flying Officer `Tommo` Thompson, lead RAF liaison officer at CRC CRYSTAL. 

"This great working relationship and the strong interoperability that we have built up over these last few months has laid the foundations for successful future missions when we return to Romania," Thompson added. 

CRC CRYSTAL is the main Romanian Air Force tactical air command and control centre for Romania and is fully integrated into the Southern NATO Combined Air Operations Centre at Torrejon in Spain. This means CRC Crystal controls the majority of military aircraft operating in the skies over Romania including the Typhoons of IX (B) Sqn conducting the NATO air policing mission and ensures that information on all sorties is also fed back to NATO.