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CER SENIN
Nr. 3 (150)
2017
w w w . r o a f . r o
20
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INTEGRITATE – DEVOTAMENT – TENACITATE
It’s your first mission here in Romania?
What’s your first impression about it?
Loved it! I actually knew Comandor Dan
“Motanu”MOISE
(n.a - locţiitorul comandantului
Grupului 86Operaţional de la Baza 86Aeriană
),
in 2004-2005 we trained and flew together in
Scotland. It’s very interesting to live in theworldof
air forces, how you go some place and you see
someoneafter tenyears and it feels like yesterday.
Nothing’schanged, friendsagain, let’sflytogether!
When we stepped out of airplane, in April, it
was dark and freezing cold. I was expecting blue
skies and sun and we said “ok, this is colder than
the UK!”.
Thenwe got here and everythingwas empty,
the equipment was still in the boxes, so I had 100
people and we got straight to work, we got a job
to do.
Everybody here was very welcoming, so
everything that we asked for, they would help us
with. Soyoucanseenow, aroundyouwe’realmost
finished. We are flying lots of missions now.
Westillhave3monthtogoandafterwe’llhand
over themission to the Canadians.We’reworking
with them, although we’re just arriving, we’re
alreadyplanningour leave. Typhoonguysandgirls
will be heading back to Coningsby and there are
preparing for more operations.
Let’stalkaboutyourteamhere, theyhave
a lot of experience?
Thewaywe do things is quite different, I have
brought withme all of the supporting staff that a
Squadronwouldneed.Wecall itan“expeditionary
air wing”, we are no. 135 Expeditionary Air Wing,
andI’mthecommanderofficerofeverythingthat’s
here. Iwillbringwithmeadministrators, intelligence,
comms, operators, engineers, my medics, my
firefighters,mymediacommunicationofficer, and
everything that I would need, everywhere I go in
theworld.Wecouldgotoabasewithnothingthere
atall, andwecouldstartworking.Wecanoperate
straight away. It’s been great here that that team
is smaller and we can plug in and work with our
Romanian colleagues, also work with our US
RAF Typhoon:
Mission accomplished
Four Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4
aircraft have left Romania at the end
of August after a five-month tour of
duty. The aircraft deployed to Mihail
Kogalniceanu air base in April to
support NATO Allied Air Command’s
enhanced air policing mission, and
spent alternate weeks on high-
readiness standby to defend the
Alliance’s airspace. The Typhoonswere
part of 135 Expeditionary Air Wing,
whichwas supportedbymore than300
regular and reserve RAF personnel
from 16 units, as well as soldiers from
the Royal Engineers.
TheRoyal CanadianAir Force isnow
preparing to assume responsibility for
NATO’s mission, while two of the
Typhoons will proceed to Estonia to
participate in NATO training with the
British Army.
135 EAW’s Commanding Officer,
Wing Commander Andy Coe, said: “As
we hand over NATO duties to our
colleagues in the Royal Canadian Air
Force, themen andwomen of 135 EAW
canbeproudofwhatwehaveachieved.
In our five months here, we were
ambassadors for the RAFWhole Force,
andfor a trulyglobal Britain.We learned
much fromour Romanian friends, even
aswepassedonour experience to them
and toour other allies in the region. It’s
beenaprivilegeto leadateamwhohave
embraced NATO’s principles with
completeenthusiasmanddedication.”
Interview with Wing Commander Andrew Coe, Commanding Officer of 135 Expeditionary Air
Wing based in Romania, taken on 27 may 2017
Old flight partners
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