NATO Megabase In Romania To Host 10,000 Troops
Romania has an ambitious plan to host NATO’s largest base to date. The former 57th Air Base of the Romanian Air Forces in the vicinity of Mihail Kogalniceanu Airport will be restored and expanded to host more than 10,000 NATO troops. The strategically important base, which also currently comprises the Mihail Kogălniceanu International Airport, will expand to twice its current size. This means that the planned ‘megabase’ could outgrow the famous Rammstein Air Base in Germany, which was one of the largest US Army sites in the world during the Cold War.
The enhanced presence of soldiers from various NATO nations on the alliance’s Eastern Flank is not a novelty as the annual Operation Atlantic Resolve exercise enters its tenth year since launching in 2014. Besides Atlantic Resolve periodic international drills take place almost every year with additional activities being almost constant. A base larger than Rammstein in this part of Europe would signify a significant shift in the alliance’s balance with the base on the edge of the Black Sea, just 8 miles from the coast, offering proximity to both the sea and the Balkans.
The Romanian government has allocated 2.5 billion euros for the project and plans to adopt an area of 2,800 hectares total for the modernization of the base. Besides military facilities, the encampment will also host civilian infrastructure such as housing for soldiers’ families, a mall, smaller shops, and various services. In other words, the base will become a small city with all the necessities. It is worth noting that this investment is closely tied to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Romania has been put in a difficult position especially due to ongoing Russian provocations in the quasi-state Transnistria bordering Romania’s eastern neighbour Moldova.
National security and deterrence have become a priority on NATO’s Eastern Flank since February 2022. Romania, along with Poland, is deeply involved in the modernization of its armed forces and has close ties with members of the alliance. The new NATO base will enable Romania to increase the number of foreign troops on its territory and provide a new forward operating base to secure the region.