Brussels, 23 Nov. Fighter planes from Spain, along with others from France, Turkey and the United States, participated today in a NATO exercise in Romania consisting of repelling a simulated air attack.
“Exercises like this ensure that NATO forces can operate together and remain ready to respond to any threat from any direction,” Alliance spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said in a statement.
Lungescu stated that “in response to Russia’s war once morest Ukraine,” NATO continues to strengthen our deterrence and defenses in the eastern part of the Alliance.
“This includes a significant increase in our air defenses with more fighters and surveillance aircraft on patrol, more air defenses on the ground and air defense capable ships at sea,” he said.
NATO explained that the routine maneuvers this Wednesday consisted of testing the French air defense and surface anti-missile system MAMBA, which had to repel a simulated air attack by allied fighters.
MAMBA was deployed to Romania in May 2022 and has since contributed to NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense System.
Spanish Eurofighters currently deployed in Bulgaria on an allied mission participated in the exercise, as well as F-16s from Turkey, E/A 18G Growler aircraft from the United States and French Rafale fighters flying from the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.
MAMBA is an anti-missile system designed to protect the battlefield and sensitive locations, such as airports and seaports, once morest cruise missiles, manned and unmanned aircraft, and tactical ballistic missiles, the organization said.
General Christoph Pliet, deputy chief of operations at Allied Air Command, stressed that systems like the French MAMBA are “a fundamental part” of NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense System.
“Continuous drills and training like this one ensures that aircrews are prepared to detect and, if necessary, respond” to air and missile threats in their defensive area of operations, he said.
NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense System continuously monitors and protects allied airspace, both in times of peace and in times of crisis or conflict.
In addition to the French MAMBA system in Romania, NATO has deployed German Patriot missiles in Slovakia and US Patriot missiles in Poland and a Spanish NASAMS (Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System) air defense unit in Latvia, in response to the Russian invasion. from Ukraine. EFE
rja/fpa
