The F-18 Eurofighters of the ‘Paznic’ Detachment join the NATO’s Multinational Battlegroup ‘Aigle’ for a cycle of tranining missions

• For several days, the Spanish F-18 Eurofighters deployed in Romania have supported the French-led multinational battlegroup, which is deployed at the air bases of Cincu, Mihail Kogalniceanu and Capu Midia.

The Spanish F-18 fighters from the ‘Paznic’ Detachment have collaborated with Joint Terminal Attack Control (JTAC) personnel from the Multinational Battlegroup ‘Aigle’, who are specialists in guiding pilots towards land targets.

During these missions, the Spanish eurofighters deployed at the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base flew to the vicinity of the Cincu training area, more than 400 kilometres away, in order to conduct Close Air Support (CAS) training missions with JTAC personnel on land. This kind of operations consists of signalling a land target by a patrol to be accomplished by one or several aircrafts.

After the missions, the JTAC personnel went to the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base with the aim of knowing first-hand the F-18. During the visit, the ‘Paznic’ Detachment pilots explained the operation of the aircraft and the weaponry it uses. Thanks to this visit, the JTAC personnel were able to learn about the capabilities of the systems so that further work for the integration of the team and personnel is promoted.

The NATO’s Multinational Battlegroup ‘Aigle’ is deployed in Romania, leaded by France and with personnel from Belgium and Luxembourg. It is formed by more than 1,500 military personnel and has different weapon systems, such as Leclerq combat tanks, Caesar self-propelled howitzers or the MAMBA Air Defense System, which has already participated in training missions with the Paznic Detachment.

The aim of these training missions is the integration of the forces of the different NATO member countries that are deployed on the east flank of the Alliance. These missions seek to reinforce the security in the area through principles of joint defence and deterrence. Increasing the readiness of the forces deployed in the area enables the cohesion and interoperability in the event of a joint response against an incident in the territory of any allied country is required.