The scramble was initiated with an Alpha-Scramble order issued by NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) in Torrejón, Spain. Following the alert, both Italian and Romanian jets conducted Combat Air Patrol missions under the coordination of the Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) in Balotești.
This mission forms part of NATO’s enhanced Air Policing, a peacetime operation designed to maintain the security of Allied airspace 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The operation is executed using the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System (NATINAMDS), ensuring rapid reaction to any potential airspace violations.
The Allied Air Command (AIRCOM), based in Ramstein, Germany, oversees this mission, with CAOCs in both Torrejón and Uedem providing continuous command and control. When suspicious activity or unsafe air traffic is detected near NATO borders, the appropriate CAOC determines which aircraft to deploy, depending on the location and nature of the incident.
Enhanced Air Policing along NATO’s eastern flank was introduced after Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. As part of these assurance measures, Allies reinforce national air policing in countries like Romania and Bulgaria and bolster the Baltic and Polish deployments with additional assets.
Italy’s current rotation in Romania includes four Eurofighter Typhoons, deployed in an advanced configuration capable of tracking small or low-speed aircraft and identifying threats beyond visual range. While operating under Italy’s Joint Operations Headquarters, the aircraft remain under NATO operational control via CAOC Torrejón for the duration of the mission.
Source: AIRCOM.
