Spanish F-18 Downs Drone in Romanian Airspace Under NATO Enhanced Air Defense

Romanian Ministry of National Defense surveillance systems detected the aerial target at 04:44 local time approximately 15 miles (24 km) north of Galați.

GALAȚI COUNTY, ROMANIA — Two Spanish F-18 fighter aircraft assigned to NATO’s enhanced Air Defense mission at Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base intercepted and destroyed a drone that entered Romanian national airspace from the direction of Moldova in the early hours of August 16.

Spanish F-18 Image: NATO

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Romanian Ministry of National Defense surveillance systems detected the aerial target at 04:44 local time approximately 15 miles (24 km) north of Galați.

Spanish F-18 tracks aerial target. Images: NATO

An F-18 of the Spanish Air and Space Force, already airborne on a monitoring mission under the Air Policing Combat Service, established radar contact and received engagement authorization.

The drone was shot down at 05:01 over an unpopulated area between the localities of Băleni and Cudalbi in Galați County. The air alert for Galați County ended at 05:20. No casualties or infrastructure damage were reported.

Spanish F-18 tracks aerial target. Images: NATO

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