Nicușor Dan convened the CSAT. How will authorities respond to air space violations by drones or aircraft
A Russian soldier launches, from an undisclosed location, a “Molniya-2” FPV drone to fly to Ukrainian positions. Photo taken from a video distributed by the Russian Defense Ministry, February 4, 2025. Photo: Russian Defense Ministry Press Service / AP / Profimedia
The Supreme Council of Defense of the Country (CSAT) was summoned by President Nicușor Dan on Monday for Thursday, at 12.00. The meeting at the Cotroceni Palace will have the subject how the authorities will respond in the case of air space violations or other types of aircraft.
According to the statement sent by the Presidential Administration, on the agenda of the meeting is:
- Establishing objectives that require protection measures against threats specific to unanswered aircraft systems and the general technical requirements of technical equipment and systems for implementing protective measures;
- Establishing persons who have the right to order or approve the execution of measures against aircraft and air vehicles that unauthorized the national air space and to establish the information procedure regarding some measures taken to control the use of the national air space.
“At the Council meeting will be analyzed other topical topics in the field of national security,” the statement said.
The CSAT summons comes in the context in which, on September 13, a Russian drone entered the airspace of Romania, and the Romanian army raised the ground to intercept the drone.
“Two F-16 fighter aircraft from the 86 Air Base Fetești took off on Saturday, September 13, at 18:05, to monitor the air situation on the border with Ukraine, as a result of Russian air attacks on the Ukrainian infrastructure,” MApN said.
Shortly after the incident, the Minister of Defense Ionuț Moșteanu stated that, regarding the procedure for breaking the aircraft entering the Romanian air space, the details will be established in the CSAT.
“The procedures will go to the next CSAT, we have taken all the approvals in these summer months, they are related to the intervention procedures in the case of pilot aircraft. At this moment, for engaging against pilot aircraft we work practically on the old law, where the minister has to approve for employment. And I have a phone call on me with an application, Explained Ionuţ Mărieanu.
In the case of drones, the breaking decision can also be taken by the command of the interception operation. In this framework, the pilots of the two F-16 aircraft who took off for the drone interception were permission to destroy the drone, but the decision remained at their discretion.
“The pilots had intermittent contact, saw it, but when they had direct contact, evaluated the collateral risks and decided not to go down. I trust their maturity,” said the Minister of Defense. He explained that a 20 mm caliber bullet pulled by the machine gun on the F-16 plane can travel a distance of 5 km, and the drone flew at low altitude, where there was a risk that the bullets will reach the ground at high speed.
