Four Italian Air Force F-2000A jets are deploying to Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base tomorrow.
The Italian Air Force is scheduled to deploy Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Romania under NATO’s Enhanced Air Policing Area South (EAPAs) flying alongside the Romanian Air Force.
Indeed, from May 3 to Aug. 28, 2019, as part of the “TFA (Task Force Air) 4th Wing” four F-2000As (as the aircraft is designated in Italy) will be deployed to Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in south east Romania, providing QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) duties over the country adjacent to the pretty “hot” Black Sea area, in support of the Romanian Air Force MiG-21 jets.
The detachment of four aircraft (2x belonging to the 4° Stormo from Grosseto; 1x from the 36° Stormo from Gioia del Colle; 1x with the 37° Stormo from Trapani) and 130-strong detachment will be led by Colonel Andrea Fazi. The aircraft will fly to the airbase near Costanta from their respective airbases, with no tanker support.
According to NATO’s Allied Air Command, “the deployment will take place within the framework of NATO’s enhanced Air Policing, which was introduced to the northeastern and southeastern Allies as an element of the Alliance’s Assurance Measures in 2014 responding to Russia’s illegal activities in Ukraine. The joint Allied missions have demonstrated collective resolve of Allies and NATO’s flexible capabilities and readiness.
Controlled by Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) Torrejon in Spain the Romanian Air Force conducts NATO Air Policing with their MiG-21 fighter aircraft. The Italian Air Force Eurofighters are going to augment the Romanian Air Policing assets and will conduct sorties in concert with one another.”
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Although it’s the very first time the Italian Typhoons carry out Air Policing duties in Romania, the Italian Air Force can draw on experience gathered during a four-month enhanced Air Policing deployment to Bulgaria in 2017. The Italian Typhoons have also recently completed their fourth deployment to Keflavik for NATO’s Icelandic Air Policing and are currently deployed to Kuwait, to support Operation Inherent Resolve (carrying out “recce” missions). Moreover, from their homebases in Italy, the ItAF Typhoons have been providing the Interim Air Policing for Slovenia since 2004 (jointly with the Hungarian Air Force since 2014); for Albania since 2009 (jointly with the Hellenic Air Force); for Montenegro since 2018 (jointly with the Hellenic Air Force).
