Romanian forces pilot Turkish-made Bayraktar drones for first time amid major exercise in Nato's Dacian Fall

In the foothills of the rugged, densely-forested mountains of central Romania, 5,000 Nato troops gathered to demonstrate their ability to deploy and defend the alliance's eastern flank bordering Russia.

Exercise Dacian Fall, held annually across Romania and Bulgaria, brought together 10 Nato nations in what the alliance described as a "show of force".

It comes just weeks after Romania's defence ministry announced that the US plans to reduce some of its troops stationed on Nato's eastern flank, as the Trump administration shifts its focus toward other priorities, including border security and the Indo-Pacific region.

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Power on the move 

Nato forces from France, Poland, Spain, Portugal, and North Macedonia, among others, deployed around 1,200 pieces of equipment drawn from across the alliance.

German Eurofighters and Romanian F-16s tore across the skies, while the US-made M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System and the French Caesar self-propelled howitzers unleashed rapid-fire, mobile artillery support.

In a first for a major exercise, Romanian military officers operated Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones used for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and armed attack missions. 

The drills also featured a variety of unmanned aerial vehicles, including drones relaying targeting data to ground forces, as well as suicide drones and first-person view (FPV) models. Operated by pilots wearing FPV goggles, these low-cost drones offer remarkable precision and are used extensively in Ukraine. 

Posting on X, Romanian ambassador to Nato Dan Neculăescu emphasised that there were "absolutely no clouds of uncertainty over Nato's unwavering resolve to defend every Ally". 

A strategic alliance 

Romania, which shares roughly 650 kilometres (400 miles) of border with Ukraine, has become increasingly strategic since Russia's 2022 invasion of its neighbour.

The country hosts several major Nato bases, and has recently pledged to boost defence spending as it seeks to cement its position within the alliance.

At the start of the year, hundreds of British military vehicles made their way to Romania as part of Exercise Steadfast Dart – the first deployment of the alliance's Allied Reaction Force.