Romanian F-16s Run Quick-Reaction Drills as Russian Drones Keep Crossing Border
Romania's F-16s held rapid-response drills at Borcea Air Base, highlighting 15-minute scramble times as drones from the Ukraine war keep entering NATO airspace.
The Romanian Air Force carried out quick-reaction exercises with its F-16 fighter jets on Friday, showcasing its readiness posture as the fallout from Russia's war in Ukraine continues to spill across its borders.
The drills, held at Borcea Air Base 86, were designed to demonstrate how the country executes air-policing missions. Colonel Robulet Marius, the base's chief of staff, said the exercise proved pilots and aircraft could be "airborne and ready to engage" within just 15 minutes of an alarm.
Romania, a NATO and European Union member, has faced repeated airspace violations this year. According to the Ministry of National Defense, at least 19 drones have entered Romanian airspace in 2026 alone, and there have been 50 confirmed cases of drones or drone fragments found on its territory since the war began in 2022.
One notable incident occurred in May, when a drone crashed into an apartment block in the eastern town of Galati, injuring a mother and child. Romanian authorities have responded by scrambling jets, collecting debris, and erecting fallout shelters near the border, while repeatedly admonishing Moscow for the conflict spilling into its territory.
Commander Mihaita Marin, a former commander of Romania's detachment in Lithuania, explained the difficulty of intercepting small drones. "The planes that you just saw taking off were built to fight against much more powerful adversaries," he said. "In order for us to down a small drone that flies slow, we need very many conditions to be met... identification, radars need to follow a very small object it was not built for."
The F-16 Fighting Falcon remains the main combat platform of the Romanian Air Force, used for airspace surveillance and defense, including commitments under NATO.