By Skies Magazine | January 3, 2020 Estimated reading time 2 minutes, 45 seconds.
Canada’s Air Task Force (ATF)-Romania has concluded its four-month NATO enhanced air policing mission in Romania. As the air component of Operation Reassurance, ATF-Romania fulfilled part of Canada’s contribution to NATO defence measures in Central and Eastern Europe, and was composed of approximately 135 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel and five CF-188 Hornets.
Many of the members of ATF-Romania were from 401 Tactical Fighter Squadron based out of CFB Cold Lake, Alta., and following the completion of the mission will return to Canada this month.
“It has been a tremendous honour for the members of Air Task Force-Romania 2019 to work alongside our Romanian and regional NATO Allies. Whether fulfilling our NATO enhanced Air Policing mandate or participating in the multitude of multinational joint training opportunities with our Romanian MiG-21 and F-16 counterparts, the Romanian, French, and U.S. Navy, the Bulgarian Air Force, or Task Force Latvia, our efforts have clearly demonstrated Canada’s reliability and commitment to NATO collective defence from both a deterrence and assurance perspective,” said LCol Forrest Rock, commander of ATF-Romania, in a statement. “The members of this task force have once again demonstrated the value and capabilities of our Canadian Armed Forces and further solidified Canada’s reputation as a reliable defence partner.”
Along with the air policing mission, the ATF conducted training with their Romanian counterparts that included flight operations, emergency response, flight safety, aircraft maintenance, command and control and military policing. The mission was Canada’s fourth ATF deployment to Romania on Op Reassurance, which was introduced in 2014 after Russia illegally annexed Crimea.
“NATO is the most successful military and political alliance in the world. Canada’s contribution to Air Task Force-Romania shows our ongoing support to NATO, one of our most important multilateral relationships. Thank you to all who served for your contribution. Your work shows our friends and allies that Canada will always stand shoulder to shoulder with them,” said Harjit Singh Sajjan, minister of National Defence.
