Construction work has begun to expand the existing Romanian 57th Air Base, at Mihail Kogălniceanu, to become the largest NATO military base in Europe at a cost of around €2.5 billion ($2.7 billion), Euronews reported on March 16. Once complete the base will be the size of a small city, covering an area of almost 3,000 hectares and a total perimeter of 30 kilometers.
Nicolae Crețu, current commander of air base 57 told Euronews that the expanded facility will include “Maintenance hangars, fuel stores, ammunition, equipment, aviation technical materials, simulators, feeding facilities, accommodation, everything that is needed to support the operation and missions of a base of this size.”
The project is designed to permanently host up to 10,000 NATO soldiers and their families. As well as including new runways, weapons platforms, hangars for military aircraft, it will also provide support for service personnel’s families by way of schools, kindergartens, shops and a hospital.
This new project follows on from earlier improvements to air bases in Romania with almost $300 million spent at Air Base 71 near Campia Turzii, a training facility at Cincu, and Mihail Kogălniceanu.
Romania has become a strategic focal point for both the US and NATO as it seeks to strengthen the ability to carry out operations in the region. In addition to fighter aircraft operating from both Base 71 and 75, the US Air Force also routinely flies MQ-9 Reaper drones from Campia Turzii, providing increased surveillance capability close to Romania’s border with Ukraine and the Black Sea.
NATO Chief Says 'Not Too Late for Ukraine' to Beat Russia
In November Romania opened the European F-16 Training Center (EFTC) at the Gheorghe Mociorniță Air Base in Feteşti. It is there that Ukrainian, Romanian and other NATO nations’ pilots will be trained to fly the US F-16 aircraft.
Dorin Popescu, a Romanian military and political analyst said “The Mihail Kogălniceanu base will become the most important permanent NATO military structure in the immediate vicinity of the conflict in Ukraine. It’s unlikely that this conflict will end this year, in 2025, or in 2026. It’s likely to be a long-term conflict.”
Crețu, said: “In addition to the existing capabilities of the 57th Air Base… we are also designing the necessary infrastructure to be able to host and support ground capabilities, for special operations or any other type of military capability which is necessary to provide a response in the current security context.”
The Mihail Kogălniceanu air base currently hosts approximately 5,000 US and Romanian personnel.
A US spokesperson said: “These projects help ensure the bases can support operations of US and NATO aircraft and crews, now and in the near future.”
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
Comments (5)
The world population is sick and tired of wars ..STOP this madness now !!!
@Hansi, Yes stop Putler now....
Give Ukraine whatever weapons it needs to do this quickly.
Accept them in to the EU and NATO post haste.
If not then give them back their nuclear weapons so russia dare not ever set foot in Ukraine again.
Why are these military men still wearing masks?
President Trump would build it under budget and ahead of schedule, and precisely to specifications. NATO.... not so much.
@justsayin, MRGA troll may think so
Three of putinrumps' cronies were doing prison time specially for scamming MAGA sheep out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in his "Build the Wall" scheme. Steve Bannon, putinrumps close presidential advisor was one of them, but putinrump pardoned him for that crime. He pardoned all his crime budies and then stacked the SCOTUS with MRGA minions so he could never get convicted.
Barely anything of value happened during his term. He had the lowest all time presidential rating. It was the most acrimonious, hateful and crime filled presidency in USA history and it cumulated with putinrump actually fomenting an insurrection to overthrow the legally elected government.
Prior to his dismal term putinrump was involved in 4000 lawsuits mostly around fraud and casino organized crime dealings..., but a significant number also around sex abuse. He bankrupted 6 of his companies. Eventually reputable western banks would not lend to him and he had to borrow money for foreign despots.
Trump can't even manage to speak, formulate sentences or focus clearly these days....dementia is setting in. Almost 1600 mental health professionals have signed a petition this last week raising concern over his dementia signs and thus fitness for public office. Watch any of his recent speeches...its' shocking his cognitive decline. His accessible IQ these days is probably around 66.
@John, seems you comment all day long but only say stupid things. GFY.
@JUSTSAYIN,
Hi troll 'jack; under new guise.
On Kyivpost alone I now provided about 400 pages worth of MRGA debunking ...all in spare time at no expense to Ukraine. I've done similar elsewhere, plus there are letters I write to leadership to prompt further Ukraine support, plus the donations I send United24 for weapons, and more still for humanitarian work; and the many petitions I've signed in support of Ukraine aid.
If any of those things cause's a MRGA supporter concern that is a bonus. The fact that millions in the free world do similar to support Ukraine in their own way makes for a formidable force of good. Neither putin thugs, nor putinrump, nor their MRGA bully movement can do anything to stop it. This is the will of the people in action.
Putinrump has made it clear he will not help Ukraine. I've provided lots of evident on this and frankly have probably another 4 years worth of material to draw on. Probably if you were not pushing putinrump so hard on these forums, I would not even mention him.
I thank you MRGA trolls though for inspiring and giving me guidance each day on what debunking material to post
Congratulations allied leadership on your shiny new taxpayer funded NATO facility. It will be great venue for future dithering leadership's pontificating photo opt sessions.
Too bad it will probably end up under future attack due to your current failed policy of not more effectively supporting Ukraine. A putin victory in Ukraine would only feed his malfeasant war machine and stated EU expansionist ambitions.
Would it not be wiser / cheaper to instead just properly provision Ukraine now, so they can finally crush putin's orc forces?
This base was built only because Putin attacked Ukraine.
He is a real mastermind when it comes to deter the NATO members.