Page 68 - Air Forces Monthly - September 2017

ENHANCED AIR POLICING: ROMANIA

Romanian LancerR pilots continue their QRA
mission as before. The only diff erence is
that pilots and aircraft from another NATO
member state now share it. MiG-21MF-75
6487 is a single-seat LanceR C from Escadrila
861 Aviație Luptă. All photos Liviu Dnistran

defenders

Black Sea

NATO has responded to first-ever such operation in a country that AIRCOM’s peacetime air policing mission
increased Russian military air has an air force capable of conducting the involves the use of the Air Surveillance and
Control System (ASACS), Air Command
air policing mission independently. NATO
activity over the Black Sea by members use the term ‘air policing’ to and Control (Air C2) and appropriate
reinforcing Romanian Air Force describe the collective use of fighters to air assets: so-called Quick Reaction Air
LanceRs with RAF Typhoons, as preserve the integrity of alliance airspace. (Interceptor), or QRA(I), fast jets.
Liviu Dnistran discovers. The eAP – named Operation Biloxi by Air policing scrambles respond to
the RAF – augments Romania’s own military and civilian aircraft approaching
A t the start of 2014 few would have capabilities as part of NATO’s Assurance allied airspace and not following
Measures, introduced in 2014. A NATO
international flight regulations. Often
believed that an annexation of
European territory was likely, but
explained: “Assurance is flexible and
in March that year Russia took control of Allied Air Command (AIRCOM) spokesperson these aircraft fail to properly identify
themselves, communicate with air traffic
the Crimean peninsula under the pretext scalable in response to fluctuations in the control (ATC) or file flight plans.
of protecting the local Russian population. security situation facing the alliance. Since Russia’s annexation of Crimea,
A month later NATO developed measures “Assurance Measures are designed to NATO has seen a significant increase in
to reinforce collective defence in response send a strong and unambiguous message Russian military air activity. Moscow’s
to the developing Ukraine crisis, mainly to the public. Situated on NATO’s eastern focus began shifting south, from the
by strengthening NATO’s eastern and flank, Romania is one of the countries Baltics towards the Black Sea, in 2014 and
southeastern borders. Air training exercises to which NATO is demonstrating its even further south into Syria in 2015.
were stepped up in Poland and Romania and resolute and unabated solidarity. “NATO fighter jets executed well over
the Baltic Air Policing mission was reinforced. “NATO’s air policing mission is purely 700 A-scrambles [Alpha, or live scrambles]
On April 24 this year four Royal Air Force defensive. It’s a routine and fundamental in response to Russian Federation
Typhoons from No 3 (Fighter) Squadron at component of how NATO provides Air Force jets in 2016,” the AIRCOM
RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, landed at the security to its members. It’s neither spokesperson confirmed. On July 25
Romanian air base of Mihail Kogălniceanu, in response to any specific threat the RAF announced that Romania-based
accompanied by a 150-strong detachment of nor directed against any nation.” Typhoons had scrambled to respond
personnel from various RAF bases, together The mission is overseen by AIRCOM and to Tu-22M bombers over the western
making up 135 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW). executed via the alliance’s Combined Air Black Sea (see United Kingdom, p8-9).
It’s charged with an Enhanced Air Policing Operations Centres (CAOCs) at Uedem, The Forţele Aeriene Române (FAR,
(eAP) mission under NATO command – the Germany, and Torrejón, Spain. Romanian Air Force) fulfils its air policing

68 // SEPTEMBER 2017 #354 www.airforcesmonthly.com