Romanian Air Force

Romanian Air Force Forțele Aeriene Române
Coat of arms of the Romanian Air Force
Lineup	August 1915
Country	Romania
Armed forces	Armata Română
Type	Armed forces
management
Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces	President Klaus Johannis
Chief of Staff	Lieutenant General Daniel Petrescu
Air Force Commander	Major General Viorel Pană
insignia
Aircraft cockade
Aircraft
Attack aircraft	IAR-99
Fighter aircraft / helicopter	F-16, IAR-330, MiG-21
Reconnaissance aircraft / helicopter	An-30
education	F-16BM, IAR-99, IAR-316, MiG-21
Transport aircraft / helicopter	An-26, C-17 ( SAC ), C-27J, C-130, IAR-330

The Romanian Air Force ( Romanian Forțele Aeriene Române ) was founded as an independent branch of the Romanian army in August 1915 and has a strength of around 10,000 soldiers.

history

See also :  Romanian Air Corps

The years since the end of the Cold War were marked by Romania's rapprochement with Western Europe and NATO . For the Luftwaffe, this meant extensive restructuring and renewal, which continues to this day.

The aircraft from Eastern production, which were exclusively used until the collapse of the Soviet Union, were initially continued to be used and in their modernized versions were in some cases only replaced in the decade from 2010 to 2020. In March 2013, the plan was made to replace the outdated MiG-21 fighter aircraft with General Dynamics F-16s , but due to financial restrictions, the original plan had to take over 24 aircraft (F-16C / D) from the United States Air Force to be dropped. Instead, in October of that year, a contract was signed with Portugal to take over twelve F-16s for a price of 600 million euros . This amount also includes the training of the relevant flight and service personnel. The machines were originally supposed to be handed over to Romania between 2015 and 2017, the handover of the first six machines took place in October 2016

organization

Bacau Borcea / Feteşti Bucharest Henri Coandă Boboc Câmpia Turzii Constanța Deveselu Timișoara

Main operational bases Subordinate bases

With around 9,700 men, the air force is the second largest part of the armed forces. They have four main bases :

• Base 71 Emanoil Ionescu in Câmpia Turzii , reporting to the "Annex" at Timișoara Airport
• Base 86 Locotenent Aviator Gheorghe Mociurniţă in Feteşti , who reports to the "Annex" at Constanța Airport
• Base 90 Gheorghe Banciulescu at Bucharest Henri Coandă Airport
• Base 95 Alexandru Șerbănescu at Bacau Airport

The aircraft currently in use is distributed over these. In addition, two air bases (including Boboc ) and two to three airports can be mobilized as a reserve. In addition, the air force has various ground units training facilities for officers and NCOs.

structure

Air Force Staff ( Statul Major al Forţelor Aeriene ) ( București )

• Air input component ( Componenta Operatională Aeriană ) (Moara Vlăsiei)
• 2. "North" airspace surveillance center ( Centrul 2 supraveghere aeriana "NORD" ) (Turda)
• 71st Air Base "General Emanoil Ionescu" ( Baza 71 Aeriană "General Emanoil Ionescu" ) ( Câmpia Turzii )
  • • 711 Fighter Squadron ( Escadrila 711 Aviaţie Luptă ) - MiG-21 Lancer-C / B
    • 713 Combat Helicopter Squadron ( Escadrila 713 Elicoptere SOCAT ) - IAR-330SOCAT / M
  • Timisoara-Giarmata Air Base (Branch 71st Air Base - Baza 71 Aeriana annex )
    • 712 Helicopter Squadron ( Escadrila 712 Elicoptere ) - IAR-330M
• 85th Air Force Communication and Computer Center "General Doroftei Ghermănescu" ( Centrul 85 Comunicaţii Aero şi Informatică "General Doroftei Ghermănescu" ) ( București )
• 86th Air Base "Locotenent Aviator Gheorghe Mociurniţă" ( Baza 86 Aeriană "Locotenent Aviator Gheorghe Mociurniţă" ) ( Fetești - Borcea )
  • • 53rd Fighter Squadron ( Escadrila 53 Vânătoare ) - F-16AM / BM
  • Baza 86 Aeriană (Bâzu Cantacuzino) Baza 86 Aeriana annex
  • Mihail Kogălniceanu Airport Bâzu Cantacuzino Air Base (Branch 86th Air Base - Baza 86 Aeriana annex )
    • 861st Fighter Squadron ( Escadrila 861 Aviaţie Luptă ) - MiG-21 Lancer-C / B
    • 862nd Helicopter Squadron ( Escadrila 862 Elicoptere ) - IAR-330M
• 90th Transport Air Base "Comandor Aviator Gheorghe Bănciulescu" ( Baza 90 Transport Aerian "Comandor Aviator Gheorghe Bănciulescu" ) (București- Otopeni )
  • • 901st Squadron for Strategic Transport ( Escadrila 901 Aviaţie de Transport Strategic ) - C-130B / H
    • 902nd Fliegerstaffel for operational transport and photo reconnaissance ( Escadrila 902 Aviaţie de Transport Operativ și Recunoaștere photo ) - An-30, C-27J
    • 903rd Transport Helicopter Squadron ( Escadrila 903 Elicoptere de Transport ) - IAR-330M
• 91 Logistic Base ( Baza 91 Logistică ) (Deveselu)
• 95th Air Base "Erou căpitan aviator Alexandru Şerbănescu" ( Baza 95 Aeriană "Erou căpitan aviator Alexandru Şerbănescu" ) ( Bacau )
  • • 951st Advanced Training Relay ( Escadrila 951 Aviatie Instructie Avansata ) - IAR-99C Soim
    • 952nd Combat Helicopter Squadron ( Escadrila 952 Elicoptere SOCAT ) - IAR-330SOCAT / M
• 142nd (Unmanned) Reconnaissance Squadron ( Escadrila 142 Cercetare ) ( Timișoara - Giarmata ) - Shadow 600 UAV
• 1st guided missile anti-aircraft brigade "General Nicolae Dăscălescu " ( Brigada 1 Rachete Sol-Aer "General Nicolae Dăscălescu" ) ( București )
• 11th guided missile anti-aircraft regiment "Horea" ( Regimentul 11 ​​RACHETE Sol-Aer "Horea" ) (Braşov)
• 70th Air Force Engineer Regiment ( Regiment 70 Geniu de Aviaţie ) (Bucureşti)
• Training and shooting range for guided missile anti-aircraft weapons ( Tabăra de Instructie si Poligonul de Trageri Sol-Aer “General de Brigadă Ion Bungescu” ) (Capu Midia)
• Air Force Academy "Henri Coandă" ( Academia Forţelor Aeriene "Henri Coandă" ) (Braşov)
• Air Force Specialization School ( Şcoala de Aplicaţie pentru Forţele Aeriene ) ( Boboc Air Base ( Baza aeriană Boboc ) , Buzău )
  • Air Force Training Center ( Centrul de Instruire pentru Forţe Aeriene )
  • Training Aviation Group ( Grupul Aviaţie Instrucţie ) (Boboc Air Base ( Baza aeriană Boboc ), Buzău)
    • 1st Air Squadron ( Escadrila 1 Aviaţie ) - IAK-52, IAR-316B
    • 2nd Squadron ( Escadrila 2 Aviaţie ) - IAR-99 standard
• Air Force School for Specialists and NCOs "Traian Vuia" ( Şcoala Militară de Maiștri Militari și Subofițeri a Forțelor Aeriene “Traian Vuia” ) (Boboc Air Base ( Baza aeriană Boboc ), Buzău )
• National Museum of Romanian Aviation ( Muzeul Naţional al Aviaţiei Române ( Bucureşti ))

equipment

Current equipment

The aircraft of the Romanian Air Force consists of combat aircraft ( F-16 & MiG-21 ) and attack helicopters (IAR 330). In addition, the air force has various transport and training aircraft as well as transport helicopters . As part of the Strategic Airlift Capability Program, Romania and the other participating states also operate three C-17 Globemaster IIIs that can be used for strategic military air transport.

Aircraft	photo	origin	use	version	active	Ordered	Remarks
Combat and training aircraft
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21		Soviet Union	Fighter / trainer aircraft		25th
General Dynamics F-16		United States / Portugal	Fighter aircraft trainer aircraft	F-16AM F-16BM	9 3		Twelve former jets of the Portuguese Air Force : handover of the first six in September 2016 and the last three on September 27, 2017; 36 more planned
IAR-99		Romania	Ground attack aircraft / trainer aircraft		18th
Transport and reconnaissance aircraft
Antonov An-26		Soviet Union	Transport plane		2
Lockheed C-130		United States	Transport plane		4th
Alenia C-27		Italy	Transport plane	C-27J Spartan	7th
Antonov An-30		Soviet Union	Reconnaissance plane		2
helicopter
IAR-330		Romania	Transport and attack helicopters	IAR-330 Puma IAR-330 SOCAT	59		License replica of Aérospatiale SA 330
IAR-316		Romania	School helicopter		6th		License replica of Aérospatiale SA.316B

(As of end of 2017)

In addition, the Romanian Air Force has various weapon systems for air defense ( S-75 M3, Hawk XXI , S-60 ) and radar monitoring ( AN / FPS-117E , P-18 , P-37 , PRV-13).

With a modernization program from 2017 to 2026, Patriot guided missiles will be included in the inventory of the air force.

See also

• Strategic Airlift Capability

Web links

Commons : Forțele Aeriene Române  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• official website of the Air Force (Romanian)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Report on reuters.com (English)
2. ↑ Report on ainonline.com (English)
3. ↑ ^{a b} Stephen Trimble: Romania to accept first used F-16s from Portugal. In: Flightglobal.com. September 27, 2016, accessed on September 28, 2016 . 
4. ↑ Romania receives first F16 jets to replace obsolete MiGs , Reuters, October 7, 2016
5. ↑ http://www.roaf.ro/?page_id=132
6. ↑ https://www.rumaniamilitary.ro/sistemele-aa-din-romania-unitatile-specializate
7. ↑ Message from May 2014 on the Lockheed Martin website, accessed on February 15, 2015 (English)
8. ↑ Romania receives last three F-16 fighter jets from Portugal , seenews.com, October 6, 2017
9. ↑ Announcement from March 14, 2017 ( Memento of the original from March 16, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on the website of IHS Janes, accessed on March 15, 2017 (English) 
10. ↑ NZZ , September 5, 2017, page 5