Air target detected in Dobrogea area; four fighter jets have been sent

The Ministry of National Defense (MApN) informs that on Saturday, around 2:30 a.m., the Romanian Army's radar surveillance system indicated a small air target in an area off the Black Sea, about 45 kilometers east of Sfantu Gheorghe, Tulcea County.

"Due to the fact that the detected target was heading towards Romania's state border, the structures of the NATO-led enhanced Air Policing Combat Service and, later, the Air Policing under national command were activated, according to procedures. Thus, to monitor the situation, two F-18 aircraft of the Spanish Air Force took off successively from Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base 57, and two F-16 aircraft of the Romanian Air Force from Borcea Air Base 86," reads a MApN press release.

According to the same source, the radar signal indicated the crossing of Romania's land border at around 4.00 am, in the Gura Portitei area. At that moment, the National Military Command Center notified the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations regarding the introduction of measures to alert the population in the northeastern area of Constanta County.

The air surveillance radars constantly followed the target's route, which was headed towards Cogealac in Constanta County, with a maximum penetration depth of 19 kilometers. The combat aircraft did not have visual contact with the target at any point on the evolution route.

The surveillance system lost the radar signal south of Cogealac, around 4:30 a.m..

"The cessation of the air alert was transmitted at around 5:10 a.m., and the combat aircraft returned to their deployment bases. From the data available at this time, it was not indicated the probability of the existence of an impact zone on the national territory. The forces of the Ministry of National Defence will carry out, starting this morning, searches in the area," the press release further mentions.

MApN said that it has informed in real time the allied structures about the situation, remaining in permanent contact with them.

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