Page 69 - Air Forces Monthly - September 2017

mission with two MiG-21 LanceR squadrons
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Air Policing Area (APA) South, which covers
at Baza 71 Aeriană (71st Air Base) near all NATO allies south of the Alps, stretching
Câmpia Turzii and Baza 86 Aeriană from the Azores to eastern Turkey and from
at Borcea-Fetești. LanceRs from the central France to the southern tip of Italy.
Escadrila 861 Aviație Luptă (861st Fighter Meanwhile CAOC Uedem is responsible for
Squadron) are currently deployed at Mihail APA North. The only difference between the
Kogălniceanu while improvements are two CAOCs is the allies they work with and
made at Borcea-Fetești to accommodate the fighters provided to them for air policing.
Romania’s recently acquired F-16s. “The additional four [RAF] Typhoons
Back in 2007, Romanian MiGs took on the at Mihail Kogălniceanu mean additional
Baltic Air Policing mission for four months assets can be used to maintain the NATO
at Šiauliai air base in Lithuania, and the FAR air policing capability, and the CAOC now
has conducted the QRA mission under NATO has greater flexibility in assigning assets
command from CAOC Torrejón since joining to arising incidents in Romanian airspace,”
the alliance in 2004. At any given time, each the CAOC Torrejón official added.
squadron has two LanceRs ready for QRA. “For both allies it offers an excellent
“Romania’s well trained and professional opportunity to work and train together.
air force is capable of conducting its Like the Romanian MiG-21 jets, the RAF
own air policing [but] the augmentation Typhoons will be launched by the CAOC
efficiently absorbs any burden caused by to respond to air incidents: for example,
an increased requirement for A-scrambles,” a non-NATO aircraft flying close to NATO
the AIRCOM spokesperson explained. airspace and not having filed a flight
“All decisions as to whether a QRA will plan, not in contact with the civilian
be launched – from which alert base and ATC and not squawking an IFF code.”
how many assets are required – are the CAOC personnel certified the RAF
responsibility of the CAOC at Torrejón and Typhoon detachment during a two-day
depend on the tactical situation. All QRA period at the end of April, briefing and
aircraft are on 24/7 standby and ready debriefing the pilots and checking their
to launch upon the CAOC’s orders.” tactics, techniques and procedures.
An official from CAOC Torrejón added: “The RAF is here to enhance and augment
“The Romanian Air Force has so far ensured the air policing capability we already have,”
execution of NATO air policing to a flawless said Lt Col Silviu Marincas, a Romanian Air
standard. Integrated into CAOC Torrejón’s Force pilot. “For us, nothing has changed;
chain of command, they’ve maintained the we’re performing our mission as before.
same level and standard... that NATO Allied “The decision-makers in Torrejón now
Air Command provides to all NATO allies.” have a bigger resource pool in the area
CAOC Torrejón is responsible for NATO’s and they decide what resources to deploy
in response to a particular threat. The
assumption is that in case national resources
are saturated, additional resources are at
hand to augment the response. No specific
priority is given to us or the RAF Typhoons.”
Commenting on the RAF’s first eAP
deployment, Wg Cdr Andrew Coe, the
135 EAW’s CO, said: “The QRA mission
we’re doing here doesn’t differ from
what we’re doing at home. We’re just
looking after the integrity of the NATO
airspace but in a different part of NATO.
“In the Baltic we flew out of [Ämari
air base in] Estonia, where they have a
smaller air force, while here you have a
capable air force with the MiG-21s and
with the new F-16s as well. There’s a
difference straightaway as we’re operating
with an air force that has more jets.”
Sqn Ldr Paul Hanson echoed the CO’s
comments: “What the MiGs do here is no
different to what we do back at home, and
indeed what we’re doing while augmenting
over here. To us, QRA missions are business
as usual wherever we are in the world.
“Meeting other people that do it in the
same way shows how well the NATO
tactics and commonality work.”
Training opportunities
While the Typhoons’ primary mission in
Romania is QRA under NATO command,
At the time of AFM’s visit to Mihail Kogălniceanu pilots from both air arms are making the
the four No 3 (Fighter) Squadron Typhoon most of the RAF deployment. Regular
FGR4s were ZJ921/921, ZJ923/923, ZJ928/928 and training continues for both squadrons,
ZJ939/939. These deployed from RAF Coningsby but now there are opportunities to
using ‘Ascot’ callsigns.
learn from each other and train for
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