NATO to deploy AWACS surveillance jets to Romania to monitor Russian military activity - TASS

NATO will deploy Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) surveillance planes to Romania by January 17 to monitor Russia’s military activity, the bloc said in a statement on Friday.

"NATO will deploy Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) surveillance planes to Bucharest, Romania. The aircraft are scheduled to arrive on January 17, 2023, and will support the Alliance’s reinforced presence in the region and monitor Russian military activity," the statement reads.

The DPA news agency reported, citing military circles, that the plan involved three aircraft.

The Boeing E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft are designed to monitor airspace. They are capable of detecting and tracking aerial objects at a distance of up to 400 kilometers but they also carry out reconnaissance of the situation on the ground, though less effectively. Since Crimea’s reunification with Russia and the onset of the conflict in Donbass in 2014, these NATO aircraft have been conducting flights over the Black Sea. NATO uses AWACS aircraft capable of in-flight refueling, which significantly expands their operation range and extends flight duration.