NATO issues warning to German Eurofighter jets stationed in Romania

The German Air Force has been deployed in Romania as part of NATO's enhanced Air Policing South mission, following a series of Russian air strikes near the Ukrainian border.

Confirming the incident, a spokesperson for the German Armed Forces told Deutsche Presse-Agentur that the German combat aircraft are part of a quick reaction alert force, ready to take off around the clock. This deployment, which began this month, is scheduled to last until March 2026.

The German Air Force's role in this mission is to provide immediate response when necessary, assisting NATO partner countries with military capabilities they may lack. The current deployment marked the first quick reaction alert of the new deployment, with five Eurofighters being used for protective flights.

On the night of Wednesday, the German Eurofighters took off from the Romanian military airport Mihail Kogălniceanu in response to the approaching Russian weapon systems. Despite the tense situation, the aircraft landed safely without incident. Fortunately, no violation of Romanian airspace occurred during the incident.

Approximately 170 soldiers are part of the German deployment for these protective flights. The specific commander of the Luftwaffe deployment in NATO's enhanced Air Policing South mission is not explicitly named in the available sources.

This ongoing deployment for the German Air Force is part of a rotation system among NATO countries, with several NATO countries taking turns providing support for the quick reaction alert force. The German Air Force's participation in this deployment is designed to secure the southeastern flank of NATO.

This is not the first time the German Air Force has been involved in such missions. In recent years, they have frequently been called upon to defend NATO's airspace, demonstrating their commitment to the alliance's collective defence.