„Alpha Scramble!” Ce se întâmplă la Baza Mihail Kogălniceanu când o dronă intră în România. EFE: 15 minute până la decolare

Spanish F-18s at Mihail Kogălniceanu base must be airborne within 15 minutes of an 'Alpha Scramble' alert. On August 16, a real alert was triggered due to a Russian drone entering Romanian airspace. The Spanish Air Force responded quickly, intercepting the drone within 75 minutes. This incident marked the first of four real alerts in Romania, highlighting increased pressure on NATO's eastern flank. The Spanish detachment, consisting of 190 personnel and various aircraft, has faced more real alerts in three weeks than in previous months. The NATO protocol requires fighter jets to be ready within 15 minutes, and Spanish crews conduct daily exercises to maintain readiness. Additionally, Spain operates a continuous early warning radar system, set to be upgraded in 2027 to enhance detection capabilities.