Two F-18s and a helicopter scrambled in Romania over unidentified target, no shootdown
Photo: Russian Shahed-type drone (Getty Images)
An unidentified aerial target entered Romanian airspace near the border with Ukraine overnight on September 27. Aircraft were scrambled to monitor the situation, according to Romania's Ministry of National Defence.
On the evening of September 26, Romania's Ministry of National Defence radar surveillance system detected an aerial target maneuvering near the settlement of Chilia Veche. The area is located near the river border with Ukraine.
After the target was detected, the National Military Command Center notified the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations that residents in the northern part of Tulcea County should be warned.
At 11:32 p.m., residents received a RO-Alert notification.
According to Romania's Ministry of National Defence, the target subsequently entered national airspace near Chilia Veche. It remained there for several minutes and followed a route almost parallel to the Chilia River channel.
Two F-18s scrambled
Two F-18 aircraft belonging to the Spanish Air and Space Force were scrambled to monitor the situation. They were carrying out a combat mission as part of the Enhanced Air Policing operation.
A Romanian Air Force IAR-330 SOCAT helicopter was also deployed to monitor the air situation.
According to radar data, the aerial target flew over Romanian territory for several minutes. Its signal subsequently disappeared near the settlement of Pardina.
In its statement, Romania's Ministry of National Defence did not specify the type or origin of the aerial target.
The air raid alert in the northern part of Tulcea County was lifted at 12:48 a.m.
As a reminder, on August 16, Romania reported that it had shot down a drone that entered its airspace. A Spanish F-18 fighter jet conducting a NATO patrol mission was authorized to engage the target and shot it down.
Romanian radars detected the drone approximately 24 kilometers north of Galați.
Later, NATO operations headquarters spokesperson Martin O'Donnell said the drone was "likely Russian," according to a preliminary assessment. At the same time, he stressed that additional details of the incident were still being investigated.
