Tactical exercise organized by SRI's Counterterrorism Brigade on board a TAROM aircraft

29 August 2018

On August 28, 2018, the Romanian Intelligence Service, alongside other structures within the National System for Preventing and Countering terrorism (SNPCT), participated in an exercise meant to test the response capacity in case of a terrorist crisis occurring on board an aircraft during flight.

The simulation took place on board a TAROM aircraft which took off from "Henri Coandă" International Airport in Bucharest.

The scenarios covered several ways in which a terrorist attack can happen, endangering both the integrity of the aircraft and the passengers on board.

The exercise also tested the response capacity of the air marshals, as well as their coordination with ground intervention teams.

Under the technical coordination of SRI, in its capacity as national authority for preventing and countering terrorism, institutions with responsibilities in the field of aviation security (Gendarme Inspectorate of Ilfov County, IGPR - General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police/ Transport Police Directorate/ Transport Police Regional Section in Bucharest/ Henri Coandă Air Transport Police Service, General Inspectorate of the Border Police, IGSU - Dealu Spirii General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations in Bucharest - Ilfov county, National Company Bucharest Airports Bucharest and DIICOT - Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism),  ROMATSA and TAROM participated in  this exercise.

The purpose of the exercise was to assess the procedures for managing crisis situations and strengthen the cooperation mechanisms within SNPCT, as well as to check the crisis response time.

Current activities at Henri Coandă Airport were not disrupted.