The certification ceremony of the Royal Canadian Air Force' s detachment deployed to Romania in order to conduct enhanced Air Policing Missions will take place on Thursday, 4 August, starting 11.00, at the 57th Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base.

The Canadian detachment made up of approximately 180 military personal (pilots and technical staff) and six CF-188 Hornet aircraft, will conduct NATO-led enhanced Air Policing Missions over the following four months together with the Romanian Air Forces' soldiers and F-16 Fighting Falcon and MiG-21 LanceR aircraft, and two more CF-188 Hornet aircraft will participate, in the same period, to exercise with NATO partners.

The activity will be attended by MoND representatives, Deputy Chief of Department for Defence Policy, Planning and International Relations, Brigadier General Liviu-Mihail Iancu, the Commander of the Air Component Command, Air Flotilla General Valerica Vrajescu, as well as by the Canadian officials: the Canadian Ambassador to Romania, His Excellency Mrs Annick Goulet, Commander of 1st Canadian Air Division, Major General Iain Huddlestone and Commander of Combined Air Operations Center Torrejon, Lieutenant General Fernando de la Cruz Caravaca.

A media sequence consisting of a static exhibition and interview opportunities with Romanian and foreign soldiers will be organized at the end of the ceremony.

The mass-media representatives interested in attending the activity are requested to send their identification data (name, surname, series and number of identity document, the media institution they represent and their phone number) by Wednesday, 3rd August, 18.00, to e-mail address proff@roaf.ro.

The accredited journalists will be expected on Thursday, 4th August, between 10.00-10.30, at Post Control no.4 of the 57th Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base (1-3 Tudor Vladimirescu Street, Mihail Kogalniceanu Locality). Point of contact: Second Lieuteant Alexandra Cotoi, cell phone 0751.494.758.

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This is the sixth rotation of the Canadian Royal Air Forces taking place at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, after the ones executed in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. The Canadian soldiers also conducted another mission in Romania, at Campia Turzii, in 2014.

The joint enhanced Air Policing Missions contribute to the enhancement of the reaction and deterrence capacity as well as to the increase of interoperability between the Romanian and Canadian Air Forces.

The deployment of the CF-188 Hornet aircraft to Romania is part of the implementation of NATO's Readiness Action Plan both on its Northern and Southern parts and stands for NATO's solidarity and determination in response to the challenges posed to the security environment.

The Press Office