By Luiza Ilie
MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU, Romania, Nov 5 (Reuters) - A French maritime patrol aircraft deployed to Romania to bolster surveillance after a series of deadly strikes on merchant ships in the Black Sea on the edge of NATO's eastern flank will extend its stay by several weeks, its commander said on Thursday.
The attacks have shown how the escalating maritime war between Russia and Ukraine is expanding into a major challenge for NATO in the Black Sea that has left member states such as Romania and Bulgaria exposed.
The Black Sea is crucial for shipments of grain, oil and oil products and is shared by Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia and Turkey, as well as Ukraine and Russia. Russia has denied targeting Ukraine's neighbours.
France temporarily relocated the Atlantique 2 aircraft — designed to detect submarines, warships and small threats including sea drones and mines — to the Romanian Mihail Kogalniceanu air base on October 18 after NATO members Romania and Bulgaria asked NATO for reinforcements.
"The Atlantique 2 presence will be maintained for a few weeks from now on. We are here to ensure the safety of navigation of the commercial traffic in the Black Sea," said the aircraft's commander, whose identity was not given by the French naval forces for security purposes.
It had initially been deployed to Romania until November 6.
At least nine cargo ships were hit near the coast of Romania and Bulgaria in October, with some 34 sailors reported dead or missing.
The plane was able to detect the three sea drones which ultimately struck and sank the Greek-owned container vessel Contship Jet in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone on October 28.
The commander said they notified Bulgarian authorities and the vessel an hour before the sea drones struck, enabling the crew in that instance to come away unscathed.
"We are a surveillance aircraft," the plane's commander said. "We are able to detect. We are not able to neutralise and intercept these kind of drones."
NATO said this week the alliance had committed to investing more than $40 billion in counter-drone capabilities in the next five years. It said its commitment to defending all its members, including those on the Black Sea, was "ironclad".
(Reporting by Luiza Ilie;Editing by Alison Williams)
