The NH90s are from the Spanish Air and Space Force’s 48th Wing and serve with the Paznic Tactical Air Detachment in Romania. The detachment’s commander, Lieutenant Colonel Alberto B. Calvo López, said helicopters give commanders more flexibility when a potential threat is flying low or moving slowly.
“They do not replace the F/A18s; they complement them,” Calvo López said. He said fighters can respond quickly over longer distances and bring powerful sensors to the mission.
NATO uses aircraft on alert alongside ground-based air and missile defences, surveillance aircraft, mobile firing teams and counter-drone systems. A shared command and control network helps commanders track potential threats and choose how to respond.
Spain has deployed about 200 personnel to Mihail Kogălniceanu as part of NATO’s air defence mission on its eastern flank. The detachment has flown nearly 40 scramble sorties with fighters and helicopters during the deployment and neutralised a drone on 16 August.
