Mission accomplished: RAF jets wind down Nato Romanian air policing on Operation Biloxi
Fighter jets from RAF Coningsby have been winding down their air policing mission in Romania – Operation Biloxi.
The Typhoons were deployed to the far side of Europe as part of 121 Expeditionary Air Wing to counter the growing threat of drone incursion into Romanian air space.
BFBS Forces News was given exclusive access to the mission as the air crews worked around the clock to protect the skies amid fierce fighting between Ukraine and Russia on the country's border.
Ready around the clock
The RAF worked alongside their hosts to make sure that part of Nato's eastern flank is safe with Typhoons from 3 (Fighter) Squadron policing the skies alongside the F-16s of the Romanian Air Force's 53rd Fighter Squadron as Russia continually tests the resolve in this part of Europe.
Flight Lieutenant Matt said: "We are ready around the clock to get airborne and to intercept any threat.
"The threat that is posed mainly in the UK is airliners, intercepting airliners, national security, whereas here it's more of a Nato presence – so the threat is drone, a minuscule-size aircraft in comparison to an airliner.
"It's a very, very big shift change – intercepting large aircraft, it's easier for ground stations to know where they are so they can have an idea of where they're at, where they're going, also a larger aircraft, it makes it a lot easier for our raiders to pick up a small drone."
Around 200 personnel from 121 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) have been working alongside the hosts as Op Biloxi was stationed at Borcea 86th Air Base in the south of the country for the very first time.
Adapting to warfare changing
Commanding Officer of 121 EAW, Wing Commander Daz said: "Warfighting across many fronts is changing and it's changing across many areas in many locations.
"But the Royal Air Force and specifically UK Typhoons are ready to adapt and certainly has the capability to intercept any threat that comes into Nato airspace.
"We are close to an active war zone after the illegal invasion of Ukraine.
"It does focus the mind, but we have crews, we have support staff, ready 24/7 at very high readiness to react to any aggression or any incursion into Nato airspace."
Operation Biloxi is a long-standing mission to enhance the alliance's security in the Black Sea region.
Drones are the threat to Romanian airspace, and two people were seriously injured by a Russian drone in the border town of Galati earlier this year.
Captain Berazcko from Romania's 53rd Fighter Squadron said: "It's our home and we want to make sure that no neighbour comes uninvited within our airspace.
"Tactics have changed, procedures have been changed, we adapt to the new challenges, people are the same.
"So, we are still fighting as one strong fist.
"Since the annexation of Crimea or the war started in Ukraine, those types of missions have increased more than before.
"We were used before, that made us adapt, and we are still here doing our job 365 days, 24/7 so we are showing that beyond our fence, inside our country, we are here to protect it."
A total of 49 Quick Reaction Alerts scrambles were launched during the four-month deployment including seven live 'Alpha' scrambles against unidentified aircraft and 42 training 'Tango' scrambles, while maintaining 1,500 hours at very high readiness.
The Spanish Air Force have now taken over the RAF's role in working alongside the Romanians to ensure the country's airspace is secure.
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