VP-16 Participates in Romanian Navy Day

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS170817-17
Release Date: 8/17/2017 2:55:00 PM

By Lt. Michael Reindl and Lt j.g. Nicholas Senecal, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs

CONSTANTA, Romania (NNS) -- A P-8A Poseidon from Maritime Patrol Squadron (VP) 16 arrived in Constanta, Romania, Aug. 14, 2017, in support of a Romanian Navy Day celebration.

The "War Eagles" of VP-16 provided tours of the P-8A maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft to their Romanian counterparts and also conducted a fly over on Aug. 15 for a crowd of more than 12,000 spectators gathered to wish the Romanian Navy a happy birthday.

"It was a fantastic opportunity for my crew to meet with Romanian Gen. Nicolae Ciuca, chief of general staff, Romanian Vice Adm. Alexandru Mirsu, chief of navy, Rear Adm. Caniel Capatina, fleet commander, and their staff to discuss the U.S. commitment to our NATO allies in the region, specifically our interoperability with Romanian forces," explained Lt. Michael Reindl, VP-16 tactical coordinator. "Further, it was a complete pleasure seeing the enthusiasm that the Romanian midshipmen had for their ASW (anti-submarine warfare) training program."

The presence of VP-16 in Constanta for Romanian Navy Day demonstrates the shared commitment between the nations to promote safety and stability within the region. The P-8A from VP-16 is one of seven P-8As operating throughout the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations, adding enhanced, long-range ASW, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities to support our allies and partners in the region.

Quick Facts:
- This is the first time VP-16 has brought the P-8A Poseidon aircraft to Romania for the Navy Day Celebration.
- The "War Eagles" of VP-16 are based out of Jacksonville, Florida, and is forward-deployed to Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, operating in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.
- U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operation in order to advance U.S. national interests and enhance security and stability in Europe and Africa.