Romanian F-16 shoots down drone in Estonia during NATO air policing mission

A Romanian F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet deployed as part of NATO’s enhanced air policing mission in the Baltic region shot down a drone in Estonian airspace on Tuesday, May 19, Romania’s Ministry of Defense announced. The interception marks a first for the Romanian Air Force detachment known as the “Carpathian Vipers.”

According to the ministry, two Romanian F-16 aircraft were scrambled at around 11:03 a.m. following an alert issued by NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) in Uedem, Germany.

“The pilots identified the target and completed all identification and engagement authorization procedures, after which they launched an air-to-air missile, bringing down the drone,” the Romanian ministry said.

According to Reuters, the drone is suspected to be Ukrainian.

Romania's interim minister of defense Radu Miruță later identified the pilot involved in the mission as Commander Pavelescu Costel-Alexandru, praising the operation in a Facebook post.

"In the complicated global fight against drones, a Romanian military pilot is the one who succeeded today,” Miruță wrote, adding that the pilot managed to “track, engage and bring down a drone that entered Estonian airspace.”

He also said the operation had been highly appreciated by NATO allies and that Estonian defense minister Hanno Pevkur personally congratulated Romania following the interception.

"In order for a drone to be shot down from an F-16 aircraft, a series of conditions must be met simultaneously. That is what happened today in Estonia,” the Romanian minister said, announcing that he had proposed awarding the pilot the First Class Peace Envoy Emblem.

The Romanian detachment, made up of around 100 military personnel and six F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, is currently deployed at the Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania as part of NATO’s enhanced Air Policing mission running from April to July 2026. The mission is aimed at protecting the airspace integrity of the Baltic states and forms part of NATO’s collective defense commitments.

Romania’s Air Force is currently on its fourth deployment to Lithuania under NATO Baltic Air Policing operations. Previous Romanian missions took place in 2007, 2023, and 2025.

(Photo source: Facebook/Ministerul Apararii Nationale, Romania - www.mapn.ro)