NATO to relocate reconnaissance aircraft from Germany to Romania to be closer to the war in Ukraine

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NATO will relocate some of its surveillance aircraft currently stationed in Germany to Romania in order to be closer to Russia’s war in Ukraine, reports DPA, quoted by Agerpres.

The AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) surveillance aircraft are due to arrive in Bucharest next Tuesday to „support the Alliance’s enhanced presence in the region and to monitor Russian military activity”, NATO said in a statement on Friday.

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

„As Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine continues to threaten peace and security in Europe, there should be no doubt about NATO’s determination to protect and defend every inch of allied territory,” said NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu.

„Our AWACS aircraft can detect aircraft from hundreds of kilometres away and are a key tool in NATO’s deterrence and defence posture. I thank Romania for hosting the aircraft, which will make an important contribution to our early warning capability,” she added.

180 military personnel will also be deployed at the Otopeni base.

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

With their radar system, AWACS aircraft can locate and identify other aircraft at a distance of more than 400 kilometres.

The planes can relay information to all other aircraft in the airspace that are suitably equipped, meaning they can theoretically be used as flying command posts.

In the past, they have been deployed during operations against the Islamic State terrorist group or in Afghanistan.