Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon has announced RAF Typhoons from Royal Air Force 3 (Fighter) Squadron will lead a deployment to Romania in May as part of the UK’s contribution to NATO’s Southern Air Policing mission.
The Defence Secretary agreed the deployment back in autumn following defence ministerial talks, with the timing and squadron name being confirmed at the International Parliamentary Conference on National Security in London this week.
The Typhoons from RAF Coningsby will be based at Mihail Kogalniceanu Airbase in south east Romania for around four months and will link up with the Romanian Air Force to monitor the skies over the Black Sea.
The UK is the first nation to provide jets on this assignment and follows the recent deployment of British troops to Estonia as part of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence.
Secretary of State for Defence Sir Michael Fallon said: “The UK is stepping up its support for NATO’s collective defence from the north to the south of the alliance.
With this deployment, RAF planes will be ready to secure NATO airspace and provide reassurance to our allies in the Black Sea region.”
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