| Romanian Air Force |
|---|
  |
| History |
| Aircraft |
| Structure |
| Personnel |
This is a list of Romanian Air Force and Romanian Air Corps units, past and present.
| Romanian Air Force |
|---|
| |
| History |
| Aircraft |
| Structure |
| Personnel |
This is a list of Romanian Air Force and Romanian Air Corps units, past and present.
Organization in the summer of 1917 - Order No. 1247/1917
From January 1918:
From February 1918, a new group was formed in Bessarabia:
Organization on 20 March 1920
In 1929, the Groups were converted to Aviation Flotillas. Grupul 4 was converted to the Aviation Training Center.
Fighter units
Bomber units
Reconnaissance Units
Transport Units
Liaison Units
Organization on 12 September 1956 - Order No. CL 00430
On 27 February 1960, several regiments and the Aviation Divisions were disbanded. The following fighter units remained:
The IAR 80 was a Romanian World War II low-wing monoplane, all-metal monocoque fighter and ground-attack aircraft. When it first flew, in 1939, it was comparable to contemporary designs being deployed by the airforces of the most advanced military powers such as the Hawker Hurricane and Bf 109E. Production problems and lack of available armament delayed entry of the IAR 80 into service until 1941. It remained in frontline use until May 1945.
Operation Tidal Wave was an air attack by bombers of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) based in Libya on nine oil refineries around Ploiești, Romania, on 1 August 1943, during World War II. It was a strategic bombing mission and part of the "oil campaign" to deny petroleum-based fuel to the Axis powers. The mission resulted in "no curtailment of overall product output".
The Air Force branch of the Royal Romanian forces in World War II was officially named the Aeronautica Regală Română (ARR), or the Romanian Royal Aeronautics, though it is more commonly referred to in English histories as the Forțele Aeriene Regale ale României, or simply Forțele Aeriene Române. It provided support to land forces, carrying out reconnaissance and mounting air raids between other missions.
The Romanian Air Force 90th Airlift Base "Comandor Aviator Gheorghe Bănciulescu", also known as Otopeni Air Base, is located at the Henri Coandă International Airport, near Bucharest. The base is currently home to the 901st and 902nd Air Transport squadrons, operating C-130 Hercules, C-27J Spartan, An-26 and An-30 aircraft, as well as the 903rd Transport Helicopter Squadron, operating the IAR-330L and IAR 330M. The 90th Airlift Base was also the home of the Presidential and Government aircraft.
The Romanian Air Force 95th Air Base "Captain Alexandru Șerbănescu" is an air force base adjacent to George Enescu International Airport, Romania, south of Bacău, Bacău County.
The Romanian Air Force 57th Air Base "Captain Aviator Constantin Cantacuzino", also known as Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, is an air base located near Constanța, at the Mihail Kogălniceanu International Airport. It is home to the 572nd Helicopter Squadron. The air base also has a significant US Military presence, being the location of the US Army Garrison Black Sea and Area Support Group Black Sea, hosting over 4,500 American troops.
The Romanian Air Force 93rd Air Base, also known as Giarmata Air Base, was an air base located in the commune Giarmata, near Timișoara, at the Traian Vuia International Airport. The base was disbanded in August 2004 due to the Romanian Armed Forces reorganisation program and the retirement of the MiG-23s which were based here.
The Air Force Application School "Aurel Vlaicu", also known as Boboc Air Base, is the Romanian Air Force Application School based at Boboc, Buzău County. Originally located at the Boboc airfield starting from 1939, the school was re-established as the "Aurel Vlaicu" Aviation Officers School in 1953, and moved back to Boboc in 1958. Since August 2003, as a result of the air force transformation and re-sizing, the Air Force Application School is the main applicational facility for the three main air force branches: air force, surface-to-air missiles, and radiolocation.
Ioan Dicezare was a leading Romanian fighter pilot and flying ace in World War II. He was born and died in Bucharest.
The Romanian Air Corps or Aviation Corps (RAC) was the air arm of the Romanian army until the formation of the Romanian Air Force. It was established on 1 April 1913 as the Military Aeronautics Service and subordinated to the Engineer Inspectorate, being organized in two branches – the aviation and the balloon branch. On 23 August 1915, the RAC was formed as an independent military arm and operated until 1 January 1924 when it became an equal to the Army and Navy, being redesignated as the Royal Romanian Air Force.
The Romanian Naval Aviation was the air arm of the Royal Romanian Navy. It was founded in 1920 as Escadrila de hydroplane and operated Hansa-Brandenburg W.29 floatplanes and Hansa-Brandenburg FB flying boats. These were followed by native-built aircraft and imports from Italy and Germany (floatplanes), resulting, by the time of the Second World War, in a sizable and active force of over 70 watercraft. Currently the Romanian Naval Aviation consists of Grupul 256 Elicoptere equipped with IAR 330 Naval helicopters.
The 53rd Fighter Squadron "Warhawks" is a squadron of the Romanian Air Force, first formed on 1 June 1940, then reactivated on 29 September 2016. The squadron currently operates the F-16AM/BM fighter aircraft.
Grupul 2 Aeronautic, also known as Grupul 2 Aviație was one of the three groups of the Romanian Air Corps created following the aviation reorganization in the winter of 1916/1917. In the 1920s, it was transformed into the 2nd Bombardment Group, then into the 1st Fighter Flotilla in 1937.
Grupul 1 Aeronautic, also known as Grupul 1 Aviație was one of the three groups of the Romanian Air Corps created following the aviation reorganization in the winter of 1916/1917. After the war, the Group was eventually transformed into the 1st Reconnaissance Group, then into the 1st Aviation Flotilla in 1929.
Gheorghe Mihăilescu was a Romanian World War I pilot, credited with four victories by Romanian standards and eight including shared ones.
The 2nd Guard Aviation Flotilla, also known as Flotila 2 Aeronautică de Gardă was an Aviation Flotilla of the Royal Romanian Air Force formed in 1929 following the general restructuring of the Air Force. In 1930, it became patroned by King Carol II, being designated as a Guard unit a year later.
Corpul 1 Aerian, was formed on 1 January 1943 from Gruparea Aerienă de Luptă. It was the only large Romanian air unit on the Eastern Front. After Romania changed sides in August 1944, the 1st Air Corps provided air support to the Romanian and Soviet armies in Transylvania, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia.
Grupul 6 Vânătoare was a fighter group of the Royal Romanian Air Force (ARR) formed on 7 June 1940. The group participated in the World War 2 campaign of Romania on the Eastern Front and in the defense of the country against the Western Allied bombing raids. The group was disbanded in October 1944 as its pilots were transferred to Grupul 1 Vânătoare after converting to the Bf 109 from the IAR 81.
The 48th Fighter Squadron is a Romanian Air Force fighter squadron operating the F-16AM/BM fighter aircraft delivered from Norway in 2024. The squadron was first formed on 19 April 1942, then reactivated on 30 June 1982, becoming the 71st Fighter Bombardment Aviation Regiment four years later. It is currently based at the 71st Air Base in Câmpia Turzii.
Grupul 9 Vânătoare was a Royal Romanian Air Force (ARR) fighter group established on 19 April 1942. It participated in battles on the Eastern Front and defended the country against Western Allied bombing raids in 1944. Under the command of Captain Constantin Cantacuzino, the group fought against the Luftwaffe after 23 August 1944, ending the war in Czechoslovakia in 1945.