This week, at the Mihail Kogălniceanu airport in Constanta, the change of command of the Task Force Air "Gladiator", engaged in Romania in the framework of the NATO mission of enhanced Air Policing (eAP). Colonel Michele Morelli handed over the command to the parigrade Antonino Massara.
The ceremony was held in the presence of Joint Chief Operating Officer (COVI), army corps general Francesco Paolo Figliuolo, the Italian ambassador in Bucharest Alfredo Maria Durante Mangoni, the commander of the aerospace operations command (COA), air squadron general Claudio Gabellini.
Representing the Romanian authorities, the secretary of state Bachide, the joint force commander lieutenant general Ionita and theair component commander General Vrajescu.
"You have impeccably fulfilled the task entrusted to Italy by the Atlantic Alliance"said General Figliuolo, “a fundamental task for the respect of sovereignty and for the defense of Romanian and NATO airspaces. You have been a winning model, from all points of view and the numbers speak for themselves: over 500 flight hours for more than 300 sorties. When operations are successful it means that upstream there has been a lot of training, careful planning and a phase conducted worthy of the name. You have demonstrated the competence and value of the men and women of the Italian Air Force and Armed Forces".
Subsequently, the COVI commander attended the formal passing of the baton at the helm of the TFA between the transferring commander and the incoming commander.
General Ionita addressed words of thanks to Italy, which through its Armed Forces, also with the operation in Romania, confirms itself among the main contributing nations for the strengthening of the deterrent posture of the Atlantic Alliance on the eastern flank.
The ceremony concluded with the awarding of the Romanian honor "Defense staff" to Colonel Morelli and the "Emblem of Honor" of the Romanian Air Force to six men and women of the Italian TFA.
On the sidelines of the ceremony, the COVI commander witnessed a briefing information update on the current situation and on the correlated operating dynamics.
