MONS, Belgium – Deployment of French forces to Romania as part of the NATO Response Force's (NRF) efforts in the eastern flank of the Alliance is currently underway.
The French deployment, which includes units from the 27th Alpine Hunters Battalion (27th BCA), 126th Infantry Regiment (126th RI) and the 4th Hunters Regiment (4th RCH), will bolster NATO forces in the region.
French soldiers disembark from aircraft. French military personnel and vehicles from the NATO Response Force arrive at Mihail Kogãlniceanu international airport in Romania. - Photo by NATO HQ
Cargo unloaded from a C130 aircraft. French military personnel and vehicles from the NATO Response Force arrive at Mihail Kogãlniceanu international airport in Romania. - Photo by NATO HQ
French armoured vehicles brought to Romania as part of the NATO Response Force deployment. French military personnel and vehicles from the NATO Response Force arrive at Mihail Kogãlniceanu international airport in Romania. - Photo by NATO HQ
The French contingent began deploying to Constanta, on the shores of the Black Sea, by an airlift on Feb. 28. Within 5 days, 21 planes transported around 350 soldiers and a large number of materials, including armoured vehicles.
The mission also includes a naval air group, which will support the surveillance and air defence system.
The French deployment is part of the strengthening of NATO's defence and deterrence posture on its eastern flank and reinforces the solidarity between allied countries.
France leads this year's highest-readiness element of the NRF, a multinational force comprised of up to 40,000 land, air, maritime and special operations personnel that NATO can deploy at short notice as needed.