NH90 helicopters from Spain make first NATO air defence scramble after drone alert in Romania

Two Spanish Air and Space Force NH90 helicopters scrambled from Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base in Romania on November 5, 2026, following reports of unidentified drones, alongside Spanish F/A-18 fighters. NATO's Allied Air Command described the flight as the first Quick Reaction Alert scramble by the Spanish helicopters assigned to the alliance's air-defence mission in Romania. The rotorcraft, operated by the 48th Wing, complement fighters when commanders must investigate low-flying or slow-moving potential threats, while remaining part of an integrated command-and-control response. The event was a real alert mission, not a weapons engagement or evidence that the NH90s replaced the deployed fighters.