In accordance with its responsabilities as a regional security supplier, Romania will send a detachment of 4 IAR-330 Puma SOCAT transport and attack helicopters to Bosnia-Herzegovina, under the EU Althea mission in that country.

The deployment represents the first combat operation abroad of a Romanian military aircraft since World War II.

The first detachment, numbering 4 IAR-330L Puma SOCAT helicopters and 40 men took off from the 90th Air Force Base "Gheorghe Banciulescu", located in Otopeni, on January 4th, 2005. A few days later, two female air traffic controllers (ATC) joined the detachment. The detachment was stationed at Banja Luka airport.

The detachment "Alpha" was later replaced by detachment "Bravo", on the 4th of july 2005, under the same configuration. Detachment Bravo numbered 4 new helicopters and 42 men and women.

Alpha flew 250 sorties totaling 600 hrs. Detachments Alpha and Bravo conducted missions including VIP transport, personnel and heavy equipment transport, air interdiction, medevac, aerial reconnaissance, as well as search and rescue.

Later addition:
Bravo returned on the 5th of January 2006. Althea was canceled by the EU that same year.