- Between 13-14 August 2026, in Constanța and in Romania's territorial waters of the Black Sea, the international Maritime Multipurpose Exercise (MME) Tomis 2026 was held, organized by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), as part of the Multipurpose Maritime Operation Western Black Sea 2026, in cooperation with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA).
- The exercise brought together representatives of national and European authorities with responsibilities in maritime security, aiming to strengthen inter-institutional cooperation, develop interoperability, and test response capacity in managing complex maritime incidents.
On the first day of activities, 13 August, operational briefings and working sessions were held, attended by representatives of the institutions and agencies involved. During these sessions, tactical scenarios were analyzed, intervention procedures were established, and the coordination and information-exchange mechanisms needed to carry out the exercise were harmonized.
On 14 August, in the presence of Police Quaestor General Bogdan Despescu, Frontex Deputy Executive Director Lars Gerdes, Inspector General of the Romanian Border Police, Principal Police Quaestor Cornel-Laurian Stoica, as well as the leadership of the participating structures, representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited to Romania, and representatives of partner European agencies, the tactical sequences of the exercise took place on the Black Sea.
The activities involved vessels of the Romanian Border Police, a vessel of the Bulgarian Border Police, a vessel of the Romanian Naval Forces, helicopters of the General Aviation Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as representatives and assets of the National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture, with each structure involved in scenarios specific to its area of competence.
The exercise scenario was based on the simulation of an attempted illegal migration by sea, identified through surveillance activities carried out by the Coast Guard and through the operational exchange of information via the SCOMAR system and the partners involved. Based on this operational situation, several tactical sequences were carried out, addressing incident management and the coordination of the institutional response.
The exercise included a search and rescue (SAR) operation at sea, the detection and neutralization of an unmanned maritime drone (USV), the management of a potential marine pollution incident, as well as the boarding and inspection of a fishing vessel. These activities involved the Romanian Border Police, the Bulgarian Border Police, the Romanian Naval Forces, the General Aviation Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture, and other competent structures.
Through this exercise, common intervention procedures, operational information exchange, the interoperability of naval and air assets, and the participating structures' capacity to respond in a coordinated manner to complex situations involving maritime security, environmental protection, and fisheries law enforcement were all tested.
Through its participation in this operation, the Romanian Border Police, through the Coast Guard, contributes to strengthening European cooperation mechanisms for protecting the European Union's external borders, enhancing maritime security, and developing a joint response capacity in the Black Sea basin.
Multipurpose Maritime Operation Western Black Sea 2026 is funded by the European Union and organized by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), in cooperation with EMSA and EFCA.
