NATO Privileges and Responsibilities

"Our civilians do not really understand why the Canadians are here, but they support their presence as something that is good because we are part of NATO.
"But our high-level people make the direct connection with the political situation in Ukraine. We are member of NATO so we do not worry for ourselves but for Moldova.
"The Canadians are here at the direction of NATO to help with security so that a peaceful solution can be found."
Commander Marian Petrus, Campia Turzil fighter base

"We learned our lessons from Haiti, Aviano and Libya. We need to deploy quickly and we need people with experience to do it. That is our raison d'etre. It is a concept that has been developed over the years."
Lt.-Col. Luc Girouard, Canadian lead on Royal Canadian Air Force 2 Air Expeditionary Wing

"It is a great experience for us because the Canadians have flown in war zones. I had only seen F-18s fly in videos. It is a dream come true for me to fly next to one.
"We've flown exercises with American F16s but that is more of an air-to-air aircraft. The F-18 is more multiple role with air-to-ground missions, too. Having two engines, the F-18s have more power. It's a fantastic opportunity because Canada has some of the best pilots in the world."
Major Alin Cuchit, Campia Turzil, Romania

"It is a way to save lives and get Canada in the game fast. It is the first time I have seen us be so quick.
"The MiG-21 is an icon. To train with them is an experience we would never get at home.
"That has been a decision made by the government of Canada with NATO and the government of Romania. As you know, it is a very delicate situation over here at this time. We're aware of that."
Lt.-Col. David Pletz, fighter pilot commander of 425 Squadron

Colonel Darcy Molstad, Canadian Air Task Force Commander, Lieutenant General Ştefan Dănilă, Romanian Chief of General Staff and Commander Marian Petrus, base Commander, discuss international cooperation on the airfield in Câmpia Turzii, Romania during NATO reassurance measures. (Photo: MCpl Patrick Blanchard)

When NATO requested of its member nation militaries to become more involved in the standoff reflecting a Cold War scenario with Moscow ordering 40,000 Russian troops, helicopters, tanks, planes and other assorted mechanized war machines to deploy on the border between Russia and Ukraine and infiltrating eastern Ukraine with its special intelligence agents to foment unrest and encourage secession, Canada responded, assigning its special air units to Romania.

This occasion represents the first time the Royal Canadian Air Force has deployed its 2 Air Expeditionary Wing, purpose-built to efficiently respond, flying in more swiftly than ever before to respond to distant emergencies to which Canada is engaged. Moldova, a Romanian-speaking former Soviet satellite on the northeastern border with Romania, situates a permanent base for Russian troops in eastern Europe.

Hornet fighter jets break out of formation while doing a familiarization flight of the region in Câmpia Turzii, Romania during NATO reassurance measures. (Photo: Corporal Patrick Blanchard)

With Russia's swift annexation of Crimea after having engineered social-political-ethnic dissent that led to a declaration of independence from Ukraine resulting from a questionable affirmative poll among the peninsula's large Russian-speaking residents, including Russian officers of the country's Black Sea Fleet, the concern in NATO now is not only how they can manage to have Moscow return Crimea to Ukraine, but how to prevent it from scooping up Moldova as well.

And while Moscow and President Vladimir Putin in particular will never, under any conceivable circumstances agree now to surrendering Crimea back to Ukraine, with sufficient push-back from NATO and its allies, it is possible that the following annexation of Moldova can yet be averted. Even while the Kremlin feels belligerently entitled to recapture what it can of its former holdings, and even as it spends billions in upgrading its war machinery, neither Russia nor NATO would welcome an active confrontation.

Lt.- Col. Luc Girouard is responsible for logistics and Lt.-Col. David Pletz, runs the fighter jet component of Canada’s open-ended CF-18 Hornet deployment to Romania. It is the first time that the RCAF has operated from a base in eastern Europe, creating unique logistical and operational challenges.  MATTHEW FISHER/POSTMEDIA NEWS

In the meanwhile, the CF-18 Hornets from Bagotville Quebec have been flying close to Ukraine's southern border and in other places around Romania for the past three weeks, flying on occasion alongside Soviet-Era Romanian MiG-21s over Transylvania. The exercises providing ample opportunity for Canadian pilots and their Romanian counterparts to assess the capabilities of each aircraft and the flying skills of their pilots. An extraordinary exercise in 'getting-to-know-you'.

Six CF-18 Hornets from 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron take off from Bagotville, Quebec to fly to Romania as part of Canada’s contribution to NATO’s reassurance measures in order to promote security and stability in Eastern and Central Europe. (Photo: Corporal Jean-Roch Chabot)

A comradely introduction for the Romanians, newly inducted into NATO, with the privileges involved in being part of that international military coalition, particularly in an area of the world where the past and its enforced political-national unions have been a matter of regret and determination that sovereign nationals will never again be coerced into similar arrangements.