Romanian Danube Flotilla
| River Flotilla "Mihail Kogălniceanu" | |
|---|---|
| Flotila Fluvială "Mihail Kogălniceanu" | |
Insignia of the Flotilla Command | |
| Active | 22 October 1860–present |
| Country | Romania |
| Branch | Romanian Naval Forces |
| Type | Brown-water navy |
| Garrison/HQ | Brăila, Tulcea |
| Engagements | Romanian War of Independence Second Balkan War World War I World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Commander Fănel Rădulescu |
| Notable commanders | Vice-Admiral Constantin Bălescu |
The Romanian Danube Flotilla (Romanian: Flotila Dunării Românească) is the brown-water naval branch of the Romanian Naval Forces, responsible for patrolling and defending the Romanian stretch of the Danube River. It is the oldest extant naval force on the Danube, established in 1860 alongside the Romanian navy. It saw service during most of the wars involving Romania, and was the most powerful river naval force in the world during the interwar period.
Initially composed of early steam-powered vessels and trawlers amassed via the unification of the Wallachian and Moldavian fleets, the force was gradually expanded to meet defensive and operational needs along the Danube. The flotilla saw action during the Romanian War of Independence, the Second Balkan War, World War I and World War II. Between the world wars, the flotilla reached its zenith, becoming the most capable river flotilla in the world, equipped with state-of-the-art river monitors, gunboats and patrol-craft. Following World War II and several reorganisations, it was restructured as the Danube Flotilla Command, consolidating command and modernisation. It is currently headquartered in Brăila.