Deveselu Military Base

The construction of the Romanian Air Force base at Deveselu started in 1952, with assistance from the Soviet Union. The first supersonic flight with a MiG-19 happened at the base. It was also the first air base to receive MiG-21F-13 fighters in 1962, these aircraft equipping a squadron from the 91st Fighter Aviation Regiment (). By the 1980s, the air base had become the most important one in Romania, housing four squadrons and 100 pilots. During the 1990s, it was the only air base in the country from where night missions were conducted. 2010–present In February 2010, the Supreme Council of National Defence decided for Romania to participate in the development of the American anti-missile defense component, at the invitation of President Barack Obama. A year later, in September 2011, the former aviation base was selected to host SM-3 interceptor missiles. According to major general Charles Miller, "Aegis Ashore Romania is designed to protect European NATO Allies and U.S. deployed forces in the region against the growing threat posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles outside the Euro-Atlantic area." The defense system is under the operational control of United States Naval Forces Europe-Africa, based in Naples, Italy. The current commander of Aegis Ashore Romania is Cmdr. Jonathan P. Schermerhorn, who replaced Cmdr. Frederick G. Hettling in October 2022. systems deployed at the base In 2019, the system underwent an upgrade program. During the modernization works, the United States military temporarily installed Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems at the base. After the completion of the upgrade process these systems were redeployed. This missile defense facility is designed to detect, track, engage, and destroy ballistic missiles in flight outside the atmosphere; it works in coordination with the four forward-deployed Europe naval forces' Aegis destroyers. On 29 April 2022, the military colours of the 99th Military Base Deveselu were decorated with the Order of Military Virtue by General Daniel Petrescu at the 10th anniversary ceremony of its establishment. The $800 million facility was originally intended to intercept incoming missiles from Iran, but has been deemed a "direct threat" by Russian officials. The Aegis Ashore missile defense system at Deveselu (and another one in Redzikowo, Poland), has been brought up by Russian President Vladimir Putin as an example of NATO's increasing influence in Eastern Europe. ==Capabilities==