Romanian Navy Day: over 3,500 troops and 50 ships to stage naval exercise in Constanța

Six-city celebration

Romanian Navy Day will be marked on Saturday, 15 August, with ceremonies, parades and spectacles across six cities: Constanța, Mangalia, Brăila, Tulcea, Galați and București, according to the Naval Forces Staff. The main events will take place in Constanța on the waterfront in front of the Fleet Command building and at sea, beginning at 10:00. Thousands of tourists and residents are expected to attend.

The centerpiece is the joint and inter-institutional naval exercise FNR 26.10, which will involve over 3,500 Romanian and foreign military personnel, more than 50 ships and vessels, 15 military and civilian aircraft, two amphibious armored transports and five artillery pieces. The Romanian Naval Forces will contribute 42 ships and vessels, one IAR 330 Puma Naval helicopter and two amphibious armored transports. The Romanian Air Forces will deploy three IAR 330 Puma helicopters, two F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft and one C-27J Spartan aircraft. The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations will participate with one UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, and the Aeroclub of Romania with five aircraft.

Two ships debut

This year's edition marks the first participation of the corvette "Contraamiral August Roman" (261) and the mine hunter M 271 "Căpitan Constantin Dumitrescu", both recently entered into service with the Romanian Naval Forces. Other vessels in the formation include the frigates "Mărășești" (111), "Regele Ferdinand" (221) and "Regina Maria" (222), the corvette 265 "Contraamiral Horia Macellariu", the missile carrier 190 "Lăstunul", the diver's maritime vessel "Grigore Antipa", the mine hunter M 270 "Sublocotenent Ion Ghiculescu" and the maritime dredger 30 "Sublocotenent Alexandru Axente". Four Coast Guard ships, two vessels from the Romanian Agency for Saving Human Life at Sea and one IGSU vessel will also take part.

Military ships and aircraft from Turkey, Bulgaria, Spain and France will join the exercise. The Romanian Naval Forces said the exercise is designed to demonstrate interoperability among participating structures.

The joint and inter-institutional naval exercise FNR 26.10 will reflect the high level of interoperability among participating structures and will underline the importance of cooperation at the level of the defense, public order and national security system and with international partners.

Exercise scenarios

The exercise will open with the traditional arrival of Neptune, who will pass through a "water gate" formed by two maritime tugs, while maritime games take place on the waterfront. The corvette "Contraamiral August Roman" will then execute the opening salute. FNR 26.10 includes anti-mine and anti-submarine combat missions, air defense against aerial attacks, repelling a maritime landing, operations to combat illegal migration, and search-and-rescue missions at sea.

Political attendance and security context

Interim PM Ilie Bolojan has announced his participation and will deliver a speech. President Nicușor Dan has no official program on Saturday and is not expected at the Constanța events. Dan also missed last year's Navy Day ceremonies, attending religious services at Sâmbăta Monastery instead. He later explained he wanted to break the tradition of presidential attendance at the Constanța Navy Day events.

It does not mean any lack of respect for the Army.

The celebrations take place against a security backdrop noted by interim Defense Minister Radu Miruță, who said that in recent days 100 drones were detected near Romanian airspace. Authorities found two crashed drones in Tulcea county and fragments from several drones on beaches in Costinești and Saturn.

Evening events will close with a concert by the Naval Military Music and a torch retreat of military sailors starting at 20:00 along the route from the Casino to Piața Ovidiu and the waterfront.