NATO airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft landed in Romania.

The country’s Ministry of Defense reported this.

The aircraft landed at Otopeni air base near Bucharest.

The main job of the AEW&C aircraft is to support the increased presence of the North Atlantic Alliance in the region and to track Russian military activity, particularly in the Black Sea.

“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 defend every inch of the alliance’s territory. Our AEW&C can detect aircraft hundreds of kilometers away, making it a key tool for NATO’s deterrence and defense. I thank Romania for hosting the aircraft, which makes an important contribution to our early warning,” NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu stated the day before.

AEW&C aircraft will begin reconnaissance flights on NATO territory in the near future.

The mission is scheduled to last several weeks.

The aircraft which arrived in Romania belonged to a fleet of 14 surveillance aircraft that are usually based at Gailenkirchen in Germany.

Approximately 180 servicemen will be stationed at the Romanian Air Force base in Otopeni near Bucharest.