A week after an accidental missile launch in Poland, NATO tested its anti-aircraft defense.
On Wednesday, the French MAMBA system, installed at the Capul Midia base in Romania, “repelled” a simulated air attack.
Turkish F-16s, Spanish Eurofighters, American EA-18 Growler electronic warfare planes and French Rafale Marines that took off from the
Charles-de-Gaulle
aircraft carrier took part in the training.
“
Exercises like this ensure that NATO forces are able to operate together and be ready to respond to any threat from any direction
,” commented the Atlantic Alliance, assuring that it is was a routine exercise.
The MAMBA is equipped with 8 Aster interception missiles and an Arabel multifunction radar.
The Arabel radar of the MAMBA system.
Army Staff
Rare and expensive systems, coveted by Ukraine
In the context of the war in Ukraine, no show of force is insignificant, as is underlined within the Alliance.
Since the Russian invasion, NATO has strengthened its defenses on its eastern flank.
The manpower of the "advanced presence" battalions has increased significantly, as well as the air police missions.
Four Rafales will thus be sent to Lithuania on Friday to take over from the Czech Air Force.
In May, France sent a MAMBA system to Romania.
It makes it possible to protect the port of Constanta against "
fire from cruise missiles, aircraft, drones and tactical ballistic missiles
", they say within NATO.
Patriot missile batteries have been deployed in Slovakia by Germany and in Poland by the United States, and NASAMS by Spain in Latvia.
These rare and expensive systems are also coveted by Ukraine, which must defend its cities and critical infrastructure against Russian bombing.
Read alsoFrance strengthens its presence in Romania with Leclerc tanks
The construction of a "multi-layered" Allied anti-aircraft defense network has once again become a priority in the face of Russia.
It is based on a complex architecture comprising interception capabilities at low, medium or high altitude, but also on long-range detection means.
In Romania, these are provided by the Aegis Ashore anti-aircraft defense station, operational since 2015. The command of these defenses is centralized within NATO, in particular at the American base in Ramstein.
Faced with a threat, the speed of decision is crucial.
Before its deployment in Romania, the MAMBA system had never been tested within a NATO network.
Since then it has been regularly.
Routine exercises of varying magnitude take place once a month.
A hundred soldiers from the Air Force have been sent to Romania to ensure its operation.
