Spain to deploy F-18s, NH-90 helicopters to Romania as NATO expands eastern air defence mission

31 July 2026 Spain will deploy seven F-18 fighter aircraft, three NH-90 counter-drone helicopters, an A400M aerial refuelling aircraft, and around 200 Air and Space Force personnel to Romania's Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, according to a NATO announcement. The deployment is part of a broader shift from the traditional Air Policing mission to an expanded Air Defence framework aimed at strengthening the alliance's eastern flank. The Spanish detachment will replace aircraft currently assigned to NATO's Air Policing mission as part of a wider rotation involving Italy, Spain, and Türkiye. Unlike the previous Air Policing mission, the new deployment falls under NATO's enhanced Air Defence framework, which is designed to provide a more flexible response to a wider range of threats, including man