Minister of National Defence, at the certification ceremony of the Italian Air Force Detachment

Minister of National Defence, Angel Tîlvăr, and the Italian Ambassador to Romania, His Excellency Alfredo Maria Durante Mangoni, participated, on Wednesday, April 9, at the 57th Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, in the certification ceremony of the Italian Air Force Detachment for the execution, over a four-month period, of enhanced Air Policing Missions in the southern area of ​​the North Atlantic Alliance.

The ceremony marks the beginning of a rotation as part of Italy’s contribution to the security of the Allied air space. 

Angel Tîlvăr has highlighted the fact that this is the sixth time that the Italian Air Force conducted such a mission in Romania, confirming the firm commitment to collective defence and solidarity among the member states of the North Atlantic Alliance.

"The presence of the Italian Air Force in Romania is a clear demonstration of the collective will of NATO partners to work together under the umbrella of the largest defence alliance in human history. It is also solid proof of Italy's constant commitment over the recent years to the security of our region and the entire Alliance," the Minister of National Defence stated in his welcome speech.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Ministry of National Defence leadership, the Italian Embassy in Bucharest, the Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) Torrejon, as well as the Romanian Air Force Staff.

"I take this opportunity to welcome the continued deployment of the Italian Air Force Detachments, as one of the many initiatives that NATO allies are implementing to strengthen defence in the region, as Russia continues its military aggression in Ukraine," Angel Tîlvăr said. "I express the appreciation of the Romanian Air Force Staff’s leadership and mine, as well, to you, all the flying and non-flying personnel, both of the Italian and Romanian Detachments, for what you do to defend the skies of Romania and NATO," the Minister of National Defence declared.

The Italian detachment consists of approximately 180 military personnel – pilots and technical personnel – and four Eurofighter aircraft. They will act together with the Romanian Air Force, over a four-month period, to protect NATO’s airspace, through a surveillance and rapid reaction mission.

Cooperation between the two air forces significantly contributes to strengthening the Alliance's deterrence capability and strengthening interoperability among allies.

The Press Office