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National Defence Minister Adrian Tutuianu stated on Thursday, on the occasion of the ceremony for authorizing the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) deployed at the "Mihai Kogalniceanu" Air Base for air police operations, that NATO missions of this kind increase the response speed to emerging security threats and challenges. "I wanted to attend today, as a sign of my appreciation for the complex mission that you are conducting at the "Mihail Kogalniceanu" Air Base, a mission that will contribute to the development of the reaction and deterrence capacity, as well as the strengthening of the inter-operability between Romanian Air Forces and the Canadian ones. I highlight the deterrence concept because it has to be understood in its true meaning. Unfortunately, 2014 brought a fundamental change in the security paradigm of the entire European continent. The direct and significant impact made its presence known globally. But, on the Eastern flank of the Alliance, the impact and implications are much deeper and complex. In this context, this mission proves NATO's vigilance, but also the increase of its speed of reaction to security threats and challenges that are developing and diversifying," Tutuianu stated.
The National Defence Minister also said that the security climate in the area requires proper measures, as the North Alliance is in process of implementing a series of adequate strategies. Minister Tutuianu also highlighted the fact that Romania is one of the NATO members that understood the stringent necessity of reconfiguring defence budgets and enrolling them on an upward trend. "NATO's credibility, in general, but also of its member states, in particular, will finally depend on the allocation by the member states of the necessary resources for providing the military capabilities that we need in a complex security context such the one we are facing today. Romania is firmly engaged in this direction, and by the end of the year, our country will become one of the only six NATO countries that understand and put efforts to fulfill the commitment to earmark 2 percent of the GDP to defence expenditures. This political commitment is to be endorsed by a ten-year period, until 2026, and the Army's endowment programme was designed for such a financial allocation. 2017 is an extremely important year, not just in terms of equipping the Romanian Army, but it proves, alongside our allies and partners, our country's mobilisation and maneuver capacity of the combat forces in the Black Sea region, with a high degree of inter-operability and precision," Minister Adrian Tutuianu concluded.
The ceremony, held on the aircraft parking platform, was also attended by Canada's Ambassador in Bucharest Kevin Hamilton, General Air Force Lieutenant Ruben C. Garcia Servert, who is also the Commander of NATO's Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) in Torrejon, Spain, Brigadier General Scott Clancy, the director general of RCAF planning and superior officers. Canadian Air Task Force Romania detachment, deployed at the "Mihail Kogalniceanu" Air Base is made up of approximately 135 servicemen (pilots and technical staff) and CF-188 Hornet aircraft, being scheduled to conduct, in the next four months, alongside MiG-21 LanceR aircraft and Romanian Air Forces, strengthened air police missions under NATO command. The joined missions are conducted with Romanian pilots and will contribute to the development of the reaction and deterrence capacity, while strengthening inter-operability between the Romanian and Canadian forces.
The deployment of RCAF's aircraft to Romania is part of the implementation of the Action Plan for ensuring NATO's operational capacity on the Eastern flank of the Alliance, both on north and south areas, and proves NATO's unity and determination as a response to challenges of the security environment. The Royal Canadian Air Forces (RCAF) are at their second mission in Romania, after the one conducted in April-August 2014, at the "General Emanoil Ionescu" 71st Air Base, in Campia Turzii and taking part by rotation in this mission with other allied nations, as part of operation Reassurance.
