Handover⁄takeover ceremony of the command of the Italian Air Forces’ Detachment

Handover/takeover ceremony of the command of the Italian Air Forces’ Detachment deployed to Romania in order to conduct enhanced Air Policing Missions took place on Tuesday, April 4, at the 57 Mihail Kogãlniceanu Air Base.

The activity was attended by the MoND State Secretary Eduard Bachide, the Commander of the Italian Joint Operations Forces Command, Lieutenant General Francesco Paolo Figliuolo, and by Italy’s Ambassador to Bucharest, Alfredo Maria Durante Mangoni.

State Secretary Bachide thanked for the contribution of the Italian Air Forces to the consolidation of the the deterrence and defence posture on the Eastern flank, the Italian troops being on their third rotation in Romania.

"You are a reliable partner to us, this mission being a concrete proof of your country's commitment to NATO and a good reflection of the importance that Italy attaches to collective defence and to the consolidation of the deterrence and defence posture in our region. The high-level bilateral dialogue from 2022, as well as the one from the current year, are further proofs of the mutual commitment to enhancing the defence cooperation between our states", State Secretary Bachide declared.

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The Italian detachment made up of approximately 150 troops (pilots and technical staff) and Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft will continue to conduct, alongside the Romanian Air Forces’ soldiers, NATO -led enhanced Air Policing Missions and enhanced Vigilance Activities, for the following four months.

This is the Italian Air Forces’ third rotation taking place at Mihail Kogãlniceanu, after the first two ones executed in 2019 and 2021 and the current rotation which began in 2022.

The joint Air Policing Missions contribute to the increase of the deterrence and defence capacity and of interoperability between the Romanian and Italian Air Forces.

The Press Office