Spanish F-18s scramble within minutes to shoot down Russian drone over Romanian NATO base
Spanish F-18 pilots at the Mihail Kogălniceanu base were alerted at 02:00 on 16 August and shot down a Russian drone that entered Romanian airspace within 15 minutes.
In the early hours of 16 August, an Alpha Scramble warning activated at the Mihail Kogălniceanu NATO airbase near Constanța, waking two Spanish F-18 pilots on standby. A Russian drone had entered Romanian airspace, prompting the pilots to launch within the NATO requirement of 15 minutes. After 75 minutes of pursuit, the aircraft successfully shot down the drone, marking the first of four genuine alerts the Spanish detachment “Paznic” has handled in Romania.
Lieutenant-Colonel Borja Calvo, commander of the Spanish unit, said the incidents suggest deliberate testing of NATO’s response capability. The detachment, comprising 190 personnel, seven F-18s, an A400M tanker, an early-warning radar and soon three NH90 helicopters, also operates a nonstop radar system that will be upgraded to the Spanish-made LTR-25 in early 2027. Joint exercises with Romanian forces are ongoing nearby at the Babadag training area, covering high-intensity conventional, electronic and cyber warfare.
Why it matters
The episode illustrates how NATO’s eastern defenses are being tested and the speed required from allied forces.
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