Romania is rapidly reinforcing its air-defense system following a series of incidents involving drones violating its airspace from the direction of the Ukrainian border. Events over the past week – from the deployment of NATO fighter jets to the signing of a major defense contract with France – demonstrate how quickly Bucharest is adapting to a new environment of emerging threats.

On November 25, Romanian forces detected two unmanned aerial vehicles entering the country’s airspace, allegedly linked to the ongoing war in Ukraine. German Air Force Eurofighter jets, deployed as part of NATO’s air-policing mission, were scrambled alongside two Romanian F-16s. One drone turned back, while the other crashed on Romanian territory.

For Romania – a NATO member sharing a border with an active war zone –such incidents have become increasingly frequent. In recent months, debris from missiles and drones has fallen in border regions, but the latest event has been one of the clearest indicators that the country’s airspace remains vulnerable.

The government in Bucharest has announced a tougher policy: unidentified aerial objects violating national borders will be shot down immediately. Strengthening air-defense capabilities is viewed not only as a matter of national security but also as part of Romania’s commitments within NATO.

Against this backdrop, the Romanian parliament and government have accelerated discussions about acquiring new air-defense systems. Among the key priorities is enhancing Romania’s ability to intercept low-flying threats, including kamikaze drones and reconnaissance UAVs – now a defining feature of modern warfare.

Alongside its national initiatives, Bucharest is relying on stronger NATO-wide mechanisms, including intelligence-sharing, expanded air-policing missions, and deeper integration of new air-defense systems into the alliance’s structures.

Just two days after the drone incident, on November 27, 2025, Romania officially signed a major deal with France to purchase Mistral portable air-defense systems. The contract includes 231 Mistral MANPADS launch units, 934 missiles, training for Romanian personnel, simulators, and full logistical support.

According to defense analysts, the Mistral system will significantly enhance Romania’s ability to respond quickly to low-altitude threats – the very types of drones that most often violate the country’s border.

The decision to purchase French MANPADS is seen as timely and strategic: it fits into Romania’s broader military modernization effort and addresses one of the most vulnerable segments of its air defense – protection against small, fast-moving airborne targets.

Romania occupies a key strategic position on NATO’s southeastern flank. The war in Ukraine has turned Romanian airspace into one of the alliance’s most tense operational environments, where several factors overlap:

• flight paths of Russian attack drones targeting Ukrainian infrastructure;
  
• Russian attempts to strike Ukrainian facilities on the Danube, close to Romanian territory;
• risks of navigation errors or loss of control of UAVs.

Each such incident carries the potential to spark a crisis in NATO–Russia relations, making Romania’s preparedness essential.

The French deal and ongoing discussions about expanding Romania’s air-defense capabilities reflect Bucharest’s broader strategic direction: not only to protect its own skies but also to strengthen the resilience of the entire alliance.

Experts note that Romania’s current measures are only the beginning of a larger process that includes modernizing medium- and long-range air-defense systems, integrating new NATO systems, improving the readiness of fighter aviation and rapid-response forces, and upgrading the country’s permanent airspace-monitoring infrastructure. Against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine, Bucharest is emerging as one of the most proactive contributors to strengthening NATO’s defense architecture along its eastern flank.

#ROMANIA

27.11.2025 02:02