CF-18s headed to Romania this summer to bolster NATO – Ottawa Citizen

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Canada will send CF-18 fighter jets to Romania starting this summer, the Romanian foreign affairs minister announced Monday.

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Canada will resume the air policing activity in Romania in July, foreign affairs minister Bogdan Aurescu said Monday. He made the announcement after meeting with his Canadian counterpart Melanie Joly.

Six CF-18 fighter jets will be sent to Romania.

We are bringing six CF-18s to Romania, for air patrol, starting in July, Joly said at a joint press conference. These (aircraft) will be there, with military personnel that can reach 200 people.

Canada previously had six CF-18s and 140 personnel in Romania but they left in December. The fighter jets from that deployment were there from September to December 2021.

No timeline was released on how long the latest CF-18 fighter jet deployment would last in Romania.

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But Joly pointed out the aircraft are part of Canadas response to Russias invasion of Ukraine and its support of NATO. We have increased our presence on the eastern flank and we are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that the entire eastern flank and especially Romania are well protected, she explained to journalists.

Jolys announcement from this morning appears to have come as a surprise to the Royal Canadian Air Force. Even after Jolys announcement, the RCAF released a statement to this newspaper that while there is currently no request or requirement for CF-18 Hornets to deploy domestically or outside of Canada, we are managing our training commitments accordingly to be prepared for any potential missions in support of the Government of Canada.

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There were plans to send CF-18s, along with around 150 Canadian military personnel, later this month to Florida to take part in fighter jet training with U.S. forces. The exercise, which was to have involved 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron from 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alta., has now been cancelled, the RCAF confirmed to this newspaper Monday.

Canada is also sending an artillery battery and 120 soldiers to Latvia at the end of this month as part of efforts to contribute to NATO in response to the Russian invasion.

HMCS Halifax will also leave Canada to bolster NATO forces in the Mediterranean Sea but that frigate wont leave until towards the end of March. It wont be in the region until sometime in April, according to the Department of National Defence. However, defence officials say the ship will not venture into the Black Sea.

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Twenty-five military personnel from an electronic warfare unit have also been assigned to Latvia. Members from 21 Electronic Warfare Regiment from Kingston, Ont., were already deployed to Latvia as part of a bi-annual technical assistance visit, which began in early January 2022, said National Defence spokesman Dan Le Bouthillier said. They were expected to finish their mission by the end of March. But they will continue to stay in Latvia for the foreseeable future, Le Bouthillier said.

The Canadian Forces has also earmarked two C-130J aircraft for NATO use in transporting equipment to Poland. The Canadian military will also be providing 100 anti-tank weapons plus 2,000 rounds of ammunition to Ukraine as well as more protective vests for troops. No details on when the equipment will reach Ukraine were released for security reasons.

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In addition, Liberal cabinet ministers also announced that Canada would provide $25 million in non-lethal aid. But that gear, which includes helmets, gas masks and night vision goggles, wont come from Canadian Forces equipment inventory. Instead, the Canadian governments procurement system will buy the equipment from various companies and suppliers.

Global Affairs Canada has declined to answer questions on that donation but some industry officials say there are already problems buying the needed gear.

How you can help with donations to Ukraine https://ottawacitizen.com/news/world/ukraine-how-you-can-help

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CF-18s headed to Romania this summer to bolster NATO - Ottawa Citizen