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Further Reading

Romania - Air Forces

The Air Forces contain all fixed wing and rotary wing aircrafts. It also has organic air defense assets for airfield protection. Restructuring has focused on eliminating older and less capable aircrafts and upgrading the MIG-21 with a fourth generation cockpit. A squadron of IAR-330 "SOCAT" attack helicopters has also been created. The new Air Forces' Air Sovereignty Operations Center has also achieved initial operational capability.

The Air Forces are responsible for defending state sovereignty within the national space in order to gain and maintain control over the air space and to support from the air the operations of the land or maritime forces. They will be included, mainly, in the category of surveillance or reaction forces, and will include within the active forces an operational command, 2 air division commands, 4 air bases and 2 air defense brigades. As reserve forces they will have 2 air bases and 2-3 airfields. The transformation of the air force is based on the aim of reducing force levels, streamlining command and control, and creating more flexible, sustainable, better trained and interoperable forces1.

In accordance to Allied Joint Movement and Transportation Doctrine (AJP-4.4), Romania is responsible for providing the necessary airlift, sealift, and land transport capabilities to deploy and sustain its forces participating to NATO military operations. To implement this provision, Romania adjusted its national legislation and signed agreements to contract the necessary airlift capabilities.

As of 2006 the Romanian Air Force had limited available airlift fleet. Four C-130 were in the Air Force inventory of which two were operational. The deployment time for troops, equipment, and material using these assets is considerable, even though Romania had other NATO noninteroperable military transport airframes (AN-24). To increase the airlift capabilities, the MOD ratified protocols with two Romanian airline companies, TAROM-SA and ROMAVIA-RA. Their availability and response time is still limited. Deployment and redeployment of personnel to Afghanistan were conducted with C-130 and required 10 sorties for one infantry battalion (405 troops).21 In Iraq, the same operation was conducted with chartered flights and it required about the same number of sorties.

Baza 90 Transport Aerian "Comandor Aviator Gheorghe Banciulescu" (The 90th Air Transport Base "Comandor Aviator Gheorghe Banciulescu"