More than 3,500 Romanian and foreign military personnel will take part on Saturday, August 15, in the Romanian Navy Day celebrations and the naval exercise FNR 26.10 in Constanța, on Romania’s Black Sea coast, the Romanian Naval Forces said.

Over 50 ships and boats, 15 military and civilian aircraft, two armored amphibious vehicles and five artillery pieces will be involved in training exercises at sea and in the coastal area.

The Romanian Naval Forces will lead the exercise and will participate with 42 ships and boats, an IAR 330 Puma Naval helicopter and two armored amphibious vehicles.

This year’s event will include, for the first time, the corvette Contraamiral August Roman - 261 and the M 271 Căpitan Constantin Dumitrescu minehunter, which recently entered service with the Romanian Naval Forces. The vessels deployed at sea will include Mărășești - 111, Regele Ferdinand – 221, and Regina Maria - 222 frigates; the 265 Contraamiral Horia Macellariu corvette; the 190 Lăstunul missile carrier; the Grigore Antipa maritime diving support vessel; the M 270 Sublocotenent Ion Ghiculescu minehunter; and the 30 Sublocotenent Alexandru Axente minesweeper.

The exercise will also involve four vessels from the Coast Guard, two vessels from the Romanian Agency for Saving Lives at Sea, and one vessel from the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations.

The national air component of the exercise will be supplemented by three IAR 330 Puma helicopters, two F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets and a C-27J Spartan aircraft from the Romanian Air Force, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter operated by the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, and five aircraft from the Romanian Aeroclub.

The foreign armed forces will include two Turkish Navy vessels and a Turkish Coast Guard vessel, a Bulgarian Coast Guard vessel, two F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets belonging to the Spanish Air Force’s NATO Enhanced Air Policing mission, and an Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft operated by the French Navy, the Romanian Naval Forces said.

The activities at sea will begin with the traditional arrival of Neptune, who will pass through a “water gate” created by two tugboats, while the waterfront will host sailors’ games. The corvette Contraamiral August Roman - 261 will fire the opening salute for the exercise.

The exercise will include mine countermeasures sequences, repelling an enemy air attack, a maritime landing, and maritime search-and-rescue operations, among others.

The celebrations will conclude with a concert by the Naval Forces Military Band, followed by a torchlight procession along the route from the Casino to Ovidiu Square and the waterfront in front of the Fleet Command headquarters. Later in the evening, a laser and light show organized by Constanța City Hall will be held from the northern side of pier Tomis.

Besides Constanța, the Romanian Navy Day will be marked on August 15 in Mangalia, Brăila, Tulcea, Galați and Bucharest.

(Photo: Cateyeperspective | Dreamstime.com)

simona@romania-insider.com