A military plane filled with 45 tons of medical supplies landed at Bucharest airport on Saturday morning (28 March 2020). The C-17 Globemaster cargo plane, which arrived from the Republic of Korea, carried 100,000 protective suits as part of efforts to combat the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The protective suits were purchased by the Romanian government as part of the efforts to combat COVID-19.

A previous shipment of medical supplies arrived in Romania on Thursday (26 March 2020). Both shipments, coordinated by Romania’s National Military Command Centre, were ferried by aircraft attached to the NATO-supported Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC).

“Allied armed forces are playing a frontline role in the fight against the coronavirus. Military capabilities – such as heavy air transport pooled and shared by NATO Allies and partners - can play an important role in transporting urgently needed medical supplies to where they are needed,” said NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu.

As part of the Strategic Airlift Capability, 10 NATO Allies and 2 NATO partner countries participating in the programme jointly own and operate three C-17 Globemaster heavy cargo aircraft, sharing flying hours and costs. The two flights requested by Romania represent the first use of the shared availability flight hours for emergency missions as part of the efforts to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The C-17 fleet is based at Papa airbase in Hungary. The SAC programme is managed by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA).