Los F-18 combat fighters of the 15th Wing of the Air Force have completed their air patrol mission in Romaniawhere they have played a key role in the defense of NATO airspace.
During the last four months, these Spanish aircraft, deployed at the Mihail Kogălniceanu air base, They have carried out twelve emergency interventionsknown as ‘alfa scramble’for intercept Russian military aircraft that violated international flight regulations.
Los ‘alfa scramble’ son quick reaction maneuvers that involve the immediate activation of the fighters to intercept unidentified aircraft that enter sovereign airspace. In the case of Romania, Russian aircraft were the main suspects of violating the rules of the air by flying without the transponder turned on or without having submitted a flight plan.
In each of the twelve ‘alpha scramble’, the pilots must be ready to take off in less than fifteen minutes from receiving the notification. In practice, the military manages to meet this deadline exceptionally quickly, often taking off in even shorter times.
that, in addition to these response missions, the Spanish contingent has participated in numerous exercises with allies such as the United States, France, Belgium and Italystrengthening cooperation ties and improving the interoperability of NATO air forces.
“Spanish participation in the protection of the eastern flank of the allied territory is an example of the commitment acquired by Spain with the Alliance and a another example of solidarity with our allieswith whom we share the values that sustain and protect democracy, freedom and global security,” says EMAD.
Relief and transition
After these four months of intensive patrolling, the 15th Wing of the Air Force now returns to Spain, receiving the relief of the Eurofighter of the 14th Wingwho will be in charge of continuing the mission within the framework of the Operation Persistent Effort.
This deployment, under operational control of the Operations Command (MOPS), aims to strengthen air surveillance of NATO’s eastern flank until March 2025. During the relief ceremony, Lieutenant Colonel Rafael Ichaso Franco handed over command to Lieutenant Colonel Víctor Manuel Garrido Espada.
They also attended the event Romanian and Spanish military authoritiesamong them the chief of staff of the Romanian Air Force, major-general Leonard-Gabriel Baraboiand the ambassador of Spain in Romania, José Antonio Hernández Pérez-Solórzano. The ceremony ended with the interpretation of the anthems of both countries and the imposition of decorations.
