Drone Neutralized by Romanian Air Force Pilot in National Airspace

An F-16 fighter aircraft of the Romanian Air Force, assigned to the 86th Air Base, Fetești, while conducting an air policing mission to monitor and track an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that had violated national airspace, engaged the target with an air-to-air missile on Friday, July 24^th and neutralized it over an unpopulated area in the vicinity of Padina, Buzău County.

At 09:39, on Friday, July 24th, the radar surveillance system of the Ministry of National Defence detected an aerial target approximately 20 km east of Sulina. The track subsequently penetrated the national airspace, following a trajectory across Sulina–Brăila–Fetești–Buzău.

Two Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, deployed to the 57th "Mihail Kogălniceanu" Air Base conducting NATO Air Policing Service, and two Romanian Air Force F-16 aircraft assigned to the 86th Air Base, Fetești, were scrambled at 09:48, respectively 10:56 to monitor the situation.

The National Military Command Center alerted the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU) and triggered population warning protocols in Tulcea and Brăila Counties, with RO-Alert notifications issued to the public accordingly.

At 11.02, the Romanian Air Force F-16 aircraft engaged the target and shot it down. 

We will provide updated information as soon as it becomes available.

The Press Office