A Spanish Air and Space Force F/A-18 Hornet shot down an uncrewed drone over southeastern Romania in the early hours of August 16, 2026. The Romanian Ministry of National Defense stated that surveillance systems detected the aerial target entering national airspace at 04:44 local time from the direction of Moldova.
The F/A-18 Hornet, already airborne on an air policing mission from Mihail Kogalniceanu air base, established radar contact and received engagement approval. The drone was destroyed at 05:01 local time, 17 minutes after initial detection.
Debris fell in an unpopulated area in Galati County between the villages of Baleni and Cudalbi, with no injuries or property damage reported. Spain currently operates seven F/A-18M Hornets and approximately 200 personnel in Romania on NATO air policing duties through November 2026.
