Romania’s Ministry of National Defence reports today (24 July) that a Romanian Air Force F-16 has neutralised a drone in national airspace.
The fighter aircraft, assigned to the 86th Air Base in Fetești, conducted an air policing mission to monitor and track an uncrewed aerial system that had violated national airspace. The crew of the F-16 engaged the target with an air-to-air missile and neutralised it over an unpopulated area in the vicinity of Padina, Buzău County at 11.02 local time today.
“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 ministry said. “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 and triggered population warning protocols in Tulcea and Brăila Counties, with alert notifications issued to the public.
Romania recently announced additional air defence measures.
Meanwhile, Finnish national broadcaster, YLE, said today that the Finnish Defence Forces issued temporary airspace restrictions for parts of the Gulf of Finland due to Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russia early this morning. YLE said the restrictions were issued as a precautionary measure at 02.46 and then lifted at 06:56.
For more information
Ministry of National Defence – Romania
Image: Ministry of National Defence – Romania
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