NATO
Allied Air Command
March 10, 2023

Allied fighters and heavy bombers conduct NATO mission over Romania

United States Air Force B-52s and Allied fighters conducted coordinated combined air-to-ground drills over Romania further improving Allied capabilities on March 9.

Allied Air Command led a dynamic long-range operation above Romania with the Combined Air Operations Centre at Torrejón coordinating Allied fighter and bomber aircraft. Italian Eurofighters and USAF F15Es supported by USAF B-52s carried out a combined offensive against adversarial Air Defence systems, simulated by Romanian F-16s, Spanish F-18s and the French Mamba Surface-Based Air and Missile Defence (SBAMD) system deployed in Romania.

…This allowed Allied units to practice tactics, techniques and procedures designed to defeat a complex set of potential real-world challenges in a contested air domain.

“These training opportunities are a key element in increasing the readiness and interoperability of Allied aircraft and SBAMD units,” said Lieutenant Colonel Gonzalo Tortosa Méndez, Commander, Spanish Detachment VIESPE “They provide the Spanish F-18 detachment with a valuable opportunity to operate with several of our Allies and apply NATO standards against a full spectrum of threats,” he added.

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The B-52s are currently conducting their Bomber Task Force rotation out of Moron, Spain. Over the next few weeks, the USAF bombers will fly alongside numerous Allied Air Forces across differing platforms furthering Alliance cohesion and interoperability.