The Chief of Defence visits Spanish military personnel deployed in Romania

•  The Admiral wanted to see on the ground the work of the personnel of the ‘Tigru’ detachment, the ‘Paznic’ and the participation of the Marines in the Romanian Battle Group

Official visit of the Chief of Defence to Romania. Admiral Teodoro E. López Calderón with the Commander of the Joint Operations Command, Lieutenant General Jose Antonio Agüero Martínez, travelled to the three Romanian enclaves where Spanish military personnel are deployed in NATO operations to learn on the ground about the work being carried out in the defence of the Eastern flank of the Atlantic Alliance.

During the first day of the visit, the JEMAD met with his counterpart, General Georghita Vlad, at the Romanian Ministry of Defence to discuss matters of common interest. He then went to the residence of the Spanish Ambassador to Romania, where he presented General Daniel Petrescu with the Grand Cross of Military Merit with white badge. This distinction was awarded for his close cooperation with the Spanish Armed Forces during the period, 2019-2023, when he was Romanian Chief of Defence.

The second day was used for meetings with Spanish military personnel deployed both in Schitu, in the ‘Tigru’ Detachment, and in the 57th Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in Constanta, in the ‘Paznic’ Detachment.

In Schitu, Spain has been deployed, since 15 October 2022, an AN/TPS-43M long-range tactical radar of the Air and Space Army's Mobile Air Control Group (GRUMOCA) with around 40 military personnel in charge of maintaining the equipment's operational activity, which has reached more than 16,800 hours of service in the surveillance of NATO's eastern flank. In this regard, the JEMAD stressed the crucial role of the DAT ‘Tigru’ in airspace surveillance in this area, a task that has proven to be of the greatest importance for the defence and integrity of the Alliance.

He then travelled to the 57th Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base where the ‘Paznic’ Detachment is located. There are currently six Eurofighters from the 14th Wing at this base, which are part of the NATO operation ‘Persistent Effort’ as reinforced air police. Their mission is the surveillance of Romanian skies and, if necessary, the interception of any unidentified aircraft flying over their area of responsibility.

Finally, the JEMAD travelled to Cincu to learn about the work of the Marines of the 'Tercio de Armada' in the NATO mission to defend the eastern flank in Romania. This is an operation, in which Spain has been participating for the first time since 29 November of this year.

After the French General ‘Loic Gerard’, who heads the French-led Battle Group, officially received the Chief of Defence the delegation travelled to the manoeuvre field. There they witnessed an assault exercise on defensive positions by the Spanish marines.

The JEMAD has taken advantage of this trip, in addition to learning about the work carried out on the ground by our soldiers in these NATO operations in Romania, to congratulate them on the fulfilment of their mission and to wish them a Merry Christmas.