Spanish F-18 fighters scramble 19 times in Romania as Russian drone incursions persist
Spain's Paznic air detachment at Mihail Kogalniceanu air base has logged 19 quick-reaction alerts since August 1, 2026, launching F-18 fighters to monitor Russian drones along Romania's border with Ukraine.
Romanian border scrambles
At 04:41 on 24 September 2026, Romanian military radar detected a group of aerial targets operating north of Chilia Veche inside Ukrainian airspace. Romanian authorities issued a RO-Alert notification to residents across the northern Tulcea district before clearing the alert at 05:44. Two Spanish F-18M fighters from the Tactical Air Detachment Paznic scrambled from Base 57 Mihail Kogalniceanu under an Alpha Scramble order, requiring aircraft to be airborne within 15 minutes. The tracked drone subsequently crossed into Romanian airspace around 05:40 and crashed four minutes later in trees near Solca in Suceava county, causing no casualties or structural damage.
- DAT Paznic deploys seven F-18M fighters and 200 personnel to Romania
- Spanish F-18 shoots down an intruding drone over Romania with live fire
- Spanish fighters intercept a Russian surveillance aircraft over the Baltic
- Two F-18s scramble from Base 57 before an intruding drone crashes near Solca
Operational footprint of DAT Paznic
The 24 September sortie marked the 19th urgent scramble conducted by the Paznic detachment since 1 August 2026 under NATO Enhanced Air Policing mission eAP-72. Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Alberto Borja Calvo Lopez, the detachment comprises roughly 200 personnel and seven F-18M fighters from Wing 12 (Ala 12). Flight operations recorded 15 Alpha Scramble launches during August 2026 and four during September 2026. The deployment received logistical support from an Ala 31 A400M transport aircraft during its initial two months. Three Ala 48 NH-90 helicopters are scheduled to join the detachment during the following week to execute counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) duties.
- August 2026
- 15 alerts
- September 2026 (as of 24 Sep)
- 4 alerts
Escalation and air defense responses
The scramble rate follows an engagement on 16 August 2026, when Spanish F-18 fighters conducted the first live-fire air-to-air drone intercept by the Spanish air force during an international mission. Romanian Defense Minister Radu Miruta addressed the technical characteristics of the unmanned craft that came down near Solca following monitoring by two Romanian F-16 fighters.
It appears to be a drone with slightly novel technical features compared to those we had seen previously.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte addressed the broader security posture during a colloquium at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, citing assessments by Danish intelligence services.
Today we have seen, for example, how the Danish intelligence services stated that it is very unlikely that Russia carries out a large-scale invasion of NATO territory, and they better not, because they know we are prepared and that they would not emerge victorious. I think the Danish intelligence services are right about that. It is very unlikely.
Wider eastern and southern posture
Spanish defense deployments span additional NATO air defense commitments across the eastern flank, including Persistent Effort NASAMS missile units at Lielvarde in Latvia since June 2022 and Ämari in Estonia since 2023. Spanish fighters also intercepted a Russian surveillance aircraft over international waters in the Baltic on 22 September 2026. In Madrid, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles held operational meetings with Chief of the Defense Staff Admiral General Teodoro Lopez Calderon following United States intelligence reports regarding potential Russian drone capabilities against southern European maritime corridors.
