Ministry of Defence announces that the navy and land forces are carrying out, under Romanian command, a series of activities that confirm the emphasis placed on maritime security, reservist training and allied interoperability.
Ministry of Defence announces that the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Force continues its specific missions, while on land, both a mobilization exercise took place in the Coada Izvorului polygon, as well as the first operational integration on the ground between the Italian Centauro 2 armored vehicles and the French Leclerc tanks, at Cincu.
After training dedicated to maintaining combat capability and maritime security, the ships of the MCM Black Sea group are currently in the port of Istanbul, Turkey. In the week of October 6–10, the same group participated in the multinational Exercise POSEIDON 25, organized by the Romanian Naval Forces.
The Ministry of Defense states that later, during navigation along the Romanian and Bulgarian coasts, towards Turkey, the crews carried out exercises in detecting and neutralizing sea mines, tactical maneuvers and coordination operations between the four participating ships.
The Ministry of Defense emphasizes that the presence at sea of the MCM Black Sea group demonstrates the commitment of the participating states to ensuring freedom of navigation and preventing maritime risks.
At the same time, the exercises contribute to strengthening regional cooperation and the continuous training of military personnel involved in the fight against mines, a field considered essential in the current security context.
The group includes the minelayer and net-laying vessel 274 "Vice-Admiral Constantin Balesu" (commander ship), the minehunter M 270 "Sub-Lieutenant Ion Ghiculescu", as well as two ships of the Bulgarian and Turkish partners, specialized in mine countermeasures. Now in its seventh activation, the MCM Black Sea Task Group is under Romanian command between July 2025 and January 2026.
On the reserve and mobilization component, the MOBEX B-IF 25 exercise was held at the Coada Izvorului training ground. The ministry specifies that such activities are essential for verifying reaction and coordination capacity and for strengthening the connection between active military personnel and comrades transferred to the reserve.
"I thank everyone who responded to this mobilization exercise in Bucharest and Ilfov County. I spoke with them, with those present here at the training ground", declared the Minister of Defense, Ionut Mosteanu.
In turn, the Chief of the Defense Staff, General Gheorghita Vlad, pointed out: "I noticed the professionalism, seriousness and team spirit that define our army and that give confidence that, regardless of the context, we are ready to fulfill our mission."
During the exercise, the soldiers of the 265th Military Police Battalion "Tudor Vladimirescu" executed a demonstration sequence specific to urban combat, with the theme of capturing an HVT (high value target), an action intended to test procedures and synchronization between subunits.
The Ministry of Defense states that, in parallel, a moment considered a reference for allied interoperability took place in Cincu: the first operational integration on the ground between Italian Centauro 2 armored vehicles and French Leclerc tanks.
The event took place as part of the "Eagle Thunder" exercise, where Italian and French units from the NATO Multinational Battle Group deployed in Bulgaria and Romania trained together. According to the Ministry of Defense, this integration confirms the ability of the allied structures to act coherently, improve coordination and respond to common operational requirements, in support of the deterrence and defense posture on the eastern flank.
