Royal Air Force personnel have formally handed responsibility for NATO’s enhanced Air Policing mission in Romania to the Spanish Air and Space Force, concluding a four-month deployment during which Typhoons flew 49 Quick Reaction Alert scrambles, according to the Royal Air Force.
The handover took place at a ceremony hosted by the Romanian Air Force at 86th Air Base Borcea on 31 July, marking the end of the United Kingdom’s contribution to Operation Biloxi 2026.
Typhoon FGR4 aircraft from 3 (Fighter) Squadron, operating under 121 Expeditionary Air Wing, conducted the mission in support of NATO’s Eastern Sentry vigilance activity. Of the 49 scrambles flown, seven were live Alpha scrambles against unidentified aircraft and 42 were training Tango scrambles, with the detachment maintaining more than 1,500 hours at very high readiness.
Wing Commander Wicks-Randy, Commanding Officer of 121 Expeditionary Air Wing, said: “This deployment is a testament to the dedication, professionalism and resilience of every member of the detachment. Our personnel have delivered outstanding results whilst representing the Royal Air Force and NATO with distinction.”
He added: “Typhoon may be the visible symbol of our operation, but it is the people behind the aircraft who make delivering NATO Air Policing possible.”
Beyond alert duties, the detachment worked alongside personnel from eight NATO nations. RAF Typhoons took part in Exercise Beastling Monolith, delivering air interdiction and close air support training with NATO Joint Terminal Attack Controllers, and flew in Exercise Neptune Strike and a series of combined missions with allied air forces.
The RAF said it has been a regular contributor to NATO Air Policing missions in Romania since 2014, and that the handover ensures the continued presence of allied air power in the region.
The incoming Spanish detachment forms part of a wider rotation along NATO’s eastern flank announced by Allied Air Command last week, under which Italian, Spanish and Turkish units replace French, Portuguese and Romanian jets. Spain is deploying seven F-18 fighters and around 200 personnel to Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, supported by an A400M providing air-to-air refuelling and, in the final phase, three NH-90 helicopters assigned to counter-drone tasks.
Allied Air Command has described the change as moving from Air Policing to a broader air defence role within NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence framework, extending coverage from manned and unmanned aircraft to cruise and ballistic missiles. Eastern Sentry was launched in September 2025 to reinforce NATO’s posture along the eastern flank. Romania has seen repeated incursions by drone debris and airspace violations linked to Russian strikes on Ukrainian Danube port infrastructure across the border.
