Fighter jets scrambled after mystery aerial target enters NATO country

Spanish F-18 fighters were scrambled after an unidentified aerial target entered Romanian airspace near Chilia Veche, triggering an overnight alert. Romania’s Ministry of National Defence said its radar detected the target maneuvering near the river border on Saturday night, leading the National Military Command Centre to notify emergency officials and send an RO-Alert to residents in northern Tulcea County at 11:32pm. Two Spanish F-18s, on Enhanced Air Policing duty, took off with a Romanian Air Force IAR-330 SOCAT helicopter. Radar later showed the target entering national airspace near Chilia Veche, then losing the signal near Pardina.