NATO relocates spy aircraft AWACS from Germany to Romania

NATO wants to “monitor Russian military activity” and at the same time support the “strengthened presence of the Alliance in the region” and is moving AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) surveillance planes from Germany to Romania. They are to arrive in Bucharest next Tuesday, NATO sent on Friday in a press release quoted by DPA.

The planes will be stationed about 200 kilometers from the border with Ukraine, where 180 soldiers will also be sent.

NATO will relocate to Romania some of its surveillance planes currently stationed in Germany, to be closer to the war started by Russia in Ukraine. The AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) surveillance planes are due to arrive in Bucharest next Tuesday to “support the strengthened presence of the Alliance in the region and to monitor Russian military activity”, NATO said in a statement.

The AWACS aircraft, which are usually based at a base near Aachen in western Germany, will be based at the Romanian Air Force base in Otopeni, near Bucharest, about 200 kilometers from the border with Ukraine, and will remain there several weeks.

“As Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine continues to threaten peace and security in Europe, there must be no doubt about NATO’s determination to protect and defend every inch of allied territory,” said the NATO spokeswoman. , Oana Lungescu. “Our AWACS aircraft can detect aircraft from a distance of hundreds of kilometers, being a key tool of NATO’s deterrence and defense posture. I thank Romania for hosting the aircraft, which will make an important contribution to our early warning capability,” she added.

NATO did not specify how many of the 14 AWACS aircraft stationed in Germany will be sent to Romania, but according to some military sources, cited by DPA, three aircraft will be deployed.

Through their radar system, AWACS aircraft can locate and identify other aircraft at a distance of more than 400 kilometers. The planes can relay the information to all other aircraft in the airspace that are properly equipped, meaning they can theoretically be used as flying command posts. In the past, they were deployed during operations against the Islamic State terrorist group or in Afghanistan.