Deveselu Military Base

The 99th Military Base Deveselu (Baza Militară 99 Deveselu), or the Deveselu Military Base, is a Romanian NATO base that holds an important defense system from the United States Navy. This system is called the Aegis Ashore Ballistic Missile Defense System and helps keep many countries safe. The base is in the Deveselu commune in Olt County and covers a large area of 900 hectares, which is about 2,200 acres. Out of this area, 170 hectares, or 420 acres, are used by troops from the United States.

The Deveselu base works with about 500 Romanian soldiers, 250 troops from the United States, and some other workers. The base is led by the Romanian Joint Logistics Command. The person in charge of the base now is Colonel Marius Chiriță. This base is very important for protecting Europe and keeping peace in the area.

History

The construction of the Romanian Air Force base at Deveselu began in 1952, with help from the Soviet Union. The first supersonic flight using a MiG-19 took place there. It was also the first air base to get MiG-21F-13 fighters in 1962.

By the 1980s, the air base was the most important one in Romania, with four squadrons and 100 pilots. In the 1990s, it was the only base in the country where night missions were flown. The base was closed down in 2003.

2010–present

In February 2010, Romania agreed to join the development of an American anti-missile defense system, invited by President Barack Obama. In September 2011, the old aviation base was chosen to host SM-3 interceptor missiles. Building started in October 2013.

On 1 May 2012, Baza Militară 99 was created. The opening ceremony happened in December 2015. The Aegis Ashore Site became active in May 2016. It is meant to protect European NATO allies and U.S. forces in the area from missile threats. The defense system is controlled by United States Naval Forces Europe-Africa, based in Naples, Italy.

In 2019, the system was upgraded. During this time, the United States military briefly placed Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems at the base before moving them away. This missile defense site can find, follow, and stop ballistic missiles in space. It works with four forward-deployed Europe naval forces' Aegis destroyers.

Capabilities

The Aegis Ashore system at Deveselu uses advanced radar and computers, similar to systems on ships. In 2019, it was updated to use newer missiles that can better find and track targets. These missiles can help protect Europe from certain types of incoming missiles.

After the conflict in Ukraine began in 2022, the Deveselu base became very important for keeping NATO safe. These missiles can stop some medium-range missiles in the middle of their flight, but they might not work against very fast new weapons.

In 2023, plans were made to upgrade the base even more. Work started in 2024 to improve sensors and replace the missiles with newer ones that can stop more kinds of weapons, including very large missiles high above the Earth. By 2026, this upgrade was finished.

In March 2026, after Romania agreed to let the United States use its airfields for certain operations, the U.S. announced plans to add more radar and satellite systems in the country to strengthen the missile defense network in Europe.

Nuclear weapons claims

See also: Romania and weapons of mass destruction

In 2016, there were reports that more than 20 American B61 nuclear bombs were moved from the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey to Deveselu after the failed Turkish coup. These reports were denied by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. An expert, Jeffrey Lewis, said the base does not have the special storage areas needed for such weapons.