Finnish Air Force to participate in NATO’s Air Shielding mission in Romania

NATO’s peace-time air defence tasks are carried out through the Air Policing and Air Shielding missions. Member states’ air forces surveil and protect the integrity of Allied airspace through the standing Air Policing mission. The Air Shielding mission, on the other hand, consists of an increased presence of fighter jets and ground-based air defence units in NATO’s eastern member states. The tasks of the fighter detachments participating in the Air Shielding mission include quick-reaction alert duty, patrol flights under the command of NATO’s integrated air and missile defence, as well as exercise activities and maintaining the collective deterrence of the Alliance.

Finnish F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets will contribute to the NATO mission from June 3 to July 31, 2024 for the first time. The Finnish detachment, consisting of a maximum of eight F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets and 100 airmen mainly of Karelia Air Wing’s active-duty personnel, will deploy to Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base in southeastern Romania near the city of Constanța. The jets will operate together with Royal Air Force Typhoons which arrived in April 2024 and have flown enhanced Air Policing sorties alongside the Romanian Air Force F-16 jets.

NATO’s Air Shielding mission complements the capabilities of the Romanian and Bulgarian air forces in the Black Sea region. Quick-reaction alert (QRA) duty and patrol flights will be carried out by armed fighter jets equipped with air-to-air missiles, cannons and countermeasures systems. The Finnish F/A-18 Hornets will take turns with the Royal Air Force’s Typhoon jets to ensure QRA duty. The Finnish personnel will rotate during the summer to provide practical experience in cooperation with Allies to as many airmen as possible.

“The increased presence of air defence assets in the Black Sea region is part of NATO’s basic idea that all Allies prepare to support each other in maintaining collective defence and deterrence,” said Major General Juha-Pekka Keränen, Commander of the Finnish Air Force. “By participating in the Air Shielding mission for the first time, we are doing our part to strengthen NATO’s cohesion and to enhance interoperability with Allies,” he added.

“For the Finnish Air Force, the objectives of the deployment are to enhance our integration into NATO air power, to further deepen bilateral cooperation with the Royal Air Force, and to develop our capability to operate from an Allied air base,” Major General Keränen continues.

In addition to QRA duty and patrol flights, the Finnish detachment in Romania will fly training missions in accordance with the F/A-18 pilots’ flight training programme, and participate in Allied exercise activities. For example, the Finnish fighter jets will take part in NATO Allied Air Command’s Ramstein Legacy 24 exercise, which will take place in Romanian and Bulgarian airspace in early June.