Türkiye 'for the first time' conducts arms control mission in airspace of NATO country

Turkish Air Forces "for the first time" carried out an arms control mission in the airspace of a NATO country.

Türkiye sent four F-16 fighter jets and 71 personnel in early December to the Borcea Airbase in Romania for NATO's enhanced air policing mission that will run through March 31.

Türkiye's E-7T Airborne Early Warning and Control platforms, which have been conducting missions in NATO airspace since 2016, and four F16s, gathered in Romanian airspace to carry out the mission.

"With the mission flight of our aircraft within the scope of NATO Assurance Measures, an arms control mission was carried out for the first time with our completely national elements in the airspace of a NATO country," said the Turkish National Defense Ministry.

Air policing is a peacetime mission to preserve the security of the alliance's airspace. It is a collective task and involves the continuous presence of fighter aircraft and crews, which are ready to react quickly to possible airspace violations, according to NATO.

As a part of the broad set of assurance measures introduced following Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, allies are providing additional assets to enhance air policing along NATO's eastern borders, it added.