Fallowing the European Union engagement increase in the war area in ex-Yugoslavia, the Althea mission was launched in Bosnia-Herzegovina on 2nd December 2004, the most important operation of this kind, developed under the aegis of European Union, which succeeds the NATO mission SFOR. Our country contributed with personnel and military technique in both actions, which reflects the Romanian Army continuous participation in the security and stability reconstruction in Balkans and in the support granted to a more important European Union implication in this region. The approach ranges among the framework of our country's participation in the European Policy for Security and Defense, both as candidate to integration into European Union, as well as NATO member.

Therefore, on 4th January 2005, a Romanian Air Force detachment, composed of 4 IAR-330 SOCAT helicopters and the adequate personnel (40 persons), took off from 90th Airlift Base, to Banja Luka, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, under the leadership of captain-commander (lieutenant-colonel) Eugen Suciu. Further, 2 more women - air controllers/N.C.O.s - joined the detachment.

The four IAR-330 SOCAT helicopters are intended to assure technique and personnel airlift missions, air reconnaissance, medical search, rescue and evacuation. Althea is the first participation of Romanian Air Force in a War Theater abroad, after the Second World War.

On 7th January 2005, the Romanian detachment took part in the ceremony of authority transfer to the Multi-National Task Force - North-West (MNTF/NW) command. The Deputy Commander MNTF/NW, the Dutch colonel Vollaard Kees overtook the operational command of the detachment from the Romanian Army's representative.

On 4th July 2005, the ALPHA detachment completed his mission in the war theater in Bosnia and Herzegovina and it was replaced by the BRAVO detachment, which continued Romanian Air Force participation in the Althea Operation. The commander was captain-commander (lieutenant-colonel) Valerica Vrajescu, the commander of one of IAR-330 SOCAT squadrons belonging to the 90th Airlift Base.

The ALPHA detachment, that took part in the Althea Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, came back into the country after a 6 months long mission, on 11th July 2005. The ALPHA military personnel performed over 250 missions, totalizing over 600 flying hours.

From 4 to 10 July 2005 ALPHA and BRAVO performed reconnaissance mixed flights, so that, starting from 5th July, the BRAVO detachment assumes the entire responsibility for all the corresponding missions within peace keeping operation Althea-2005.

The detachment consisted of 42 young soldiers, including two young women, air traffic controllers. These two women coordinated and conducted the aircraft flight in location Banja Luka Metal Factory. A technical team ensured the maintenance of the four IAR-330 SOCAT helicopters, which continued to perform V.I.P., personnel and materials airlift, airways surveillance, medical evacuation, air reconnaissance, search and rescue.

The detachment is scheduled to come back into the country on 5th January 2006.