Băsescu warns of drone swarm test, urges NATO Article 4 talks after Romania downs three drones in three days

Three drones in three days

Romanian Air Force pilots shot down three drones that entered national airspace over a single weekend. The first interception occurred Friday near Padina in Buzău county, the second on Saturday near Sfântu Gheorghe, and the third on Sunday morning in the Sulina-Chilia area. All three aircraft were destroyed before reaching populated zones or infrastructure.

Băsescu: Russia is testing response capacity

Former president Traian Băsescu told Digi24 on Sunday that the back-to-back incursions are deliberate probes. "I believe they are testing our retaliation capacity. They have tested it all along. And now they confirmed it; that is why they came on three consecutive days," he said. In his view, each interception was a failed test for Moscow, proving that Romanian pilots and systems are prepared to engage.

I believe they are testing our retaliation capacity. They have tested it all along. And now they confirmed it; that is why they came on three consecutive days, and each time the test failed, let's say. So Romania has made progress.

One drone versus a swarm

Băsescu cautioned against overconfidence, arguing the real challenge lies ahead. "It is one thing to solve the problem with one drone and quite another with a swarm. Practically, drone warfare is not fought one-on-one. It is fought with swarms, from which one or two escape and hit the target," he said. He dismissed Friday's high-profile defence ministry press conference as disproportionate, remarking that no other country would send a four-star general to brief the media about a drone "that can normally be brought down with a slingshot."

One thing is to solve the problem with one drone and another with a swarm. Practically, drone warfare is not fought one-on-one. It is fought with swarms, from which one or two escape and hit the target.

'Close to a war situation'

Băsescu said Romania is now "close to a war situation," arguing that a country whose airspace is violated daily by explosive-carrying aircraft cannot be described as being at peace. "You are in a situation of risk, of military intervention," he added. He brushed aside suggestions that domestic political instability (Romania is currently led by an acting prime minister) is the main driver, insisting the Kremlin's motives are purely military and strategic.

As long as aircraft, or whatever we call these drones that can carry explosives, enter your airspace daily, you cannot say you are in a peace situation. You are in a situation of risk, of military intervention.

The cost question

The former president addressed the debate over using expensive air-to-air missiles against cheap drones. "It is absolutely correct that it is not right, from a resource perspective, to use missiles from an F-16 against a very cheap drone," he acknowledged. But he argued the calculus changes if a drone reaches the ground: "If nobody hits it and it falls on a school, a nursery, a refinery, or a block of flats, the damage could be infinitely greater than the cost of the missile fired from the F-16."

Call for NATO Article 4

Băsescu urged Bucharest to immediately convene NATO under Article 4, which provides for consultations when any ally believes its territorial integrity or security is threatened. He also invoked Article 3, which obliges members to maintain the capacity to resist armed attack, saying Romania must be ready to defend itself "with whatever we have: with bats, with F-16s, with allies providing air policing, with the French at Cincu, with the Americans." He said he does not rule out a swarm test: "Not today, not tomorrow, but I do not exclude the possibility that it will come."

Let us do what Article 3 asks of us: let us be ready to defend ourselves. With whatever we have, with bats, with F-16s, with allies providing air policing, with the French who are at Cincu, with the Americans... with whatever we have!