Reports from Romanian media indicate that authorities in Bucharest are embarking on a significant expansion of the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, located near Constanta and overlooking the Black Sea.
This development aims to transform the base into the “NATO capital” in Europe and the largest Alliance facility on the continent, with an estimated cost of EUR 2.5 billion.
According to Euronews Romania, the base in the Constanta region is to become the largest NATO facility in Europe. It is planned to resemble a small city, with both military and civilian infrastructure to facilitate the living arrangements of up to 10,000 soldiers and their families.
The military infrastructure will undergo extensive expansion, including the construction of a new runway and other facilities. The base will cover an area of 2,800 hectares and extend over 30 kilometers in circumference. Euronews notes that it will surpass the size of the Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
Currently, the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base is home to approximately 4,000 U.S. soldiers.
According to Romanian analyst Dorin Popescu, the base is poised to become the paramount infrastructure asset for the North Atlantic Alliance in the region, particularly significant amidst the ongoing armed conflict in southern Ukraine.
Popescu anticipates that the conflict will continue not only throughout this year but also into 2025 and possibly even 2026, describing it as protracted.
Given this context, the base could play a crucial role in offering diverse military and logistical support to Ukrainian forces engaged in combat operations against the Russian army. It's evident that this facility will pose a significant challenge to Russian installations in Crimea and other newly annexed regions of the Russian Federation.
According to Euronews Romania, the base in the Constanta region is to become the largest NATO facility in Europe. It is planned to resemble a small city, with both military and civilian infrastructure to facilitate the living arrangements of up to 10,000 soldiers and their families.
The military infrastructure will undergo extensive expansion, including the construction of a new runway and other facilities. The base will cover an area of 2,800 hectares and extend over 30 kilometers in circumference. Euronews notes that it will surpass the size of the Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
Currently, the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base is home to approximately 4,000 U.S. soldiers.
According to Romanian analyst Dorin Popescu, the base is poised to become the paramount infrastructure asset for the North Atlantic Alliance in the region, particularly significant amidst the ongoing armed conflict in southern Ukraine.
Popescu anticipates that the conflict will continue not only throughout this year but also into 2025 and possibly even 2026, describing it as protracted.
Given this context, the base could play a crucial role in offering diverse military and logistical support to Ukrainian forces engaged in combat operations against the Russian army. It's evident that this facility will pose a significant challenge to Russian installations in Crimea and other newly annexed regions of the Russian Federation.
Source: PAP , vpk , en.defence-ua.com
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