RUNWAYS, weapons, hangars, schools, shops, a hospital and £2billion to spend – welcome to the largest Nato base in Europe.
Work has already begun on this super military base, set to be the size of a small city as it will house 10,000 troops and bolster regional security.
Developers aim to give a major face lift to the already-existing Mihail Kogălniceanu base, near the Romanian city of Constanta.
The current air base hosts approximately 5,000 military personnel, most of them American soldiers.
US troops have used the site, which now houses parts of the 101st Airborne Division, since 1999.
Once complete, it will become the largest and most important base in Europe, surpassing the Rammstein base in Germany in both size and operational capacity.
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NEW RUNWAYS
Bolstering regional security, the new Nato base will cover almost 2,800 hectares with a total perimeter of 18 miles.
The £2.5 billion project aims to enhance air capabilities with new runways, a state-of-the-art control tower, as well as beacon and radio navigation systems.
It also has a cutting edge flying simulator and advanced hangar facilities.
Work on the Nato facility has begun with the basic infrastructure, such as access roads and a power system.
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The building of a new runway parallel to the current one will shortly begin.
Aiming to permanently home 10,000 soldiers, the project also offers adapted housing, schools, kindergartens, pharmacies, shops, a cinema and even a hospital.
In the new geopolitical environment of a border conflict, the base’s buildup enhances Nato’s eastern flank.
Geopolitical analyst Dorin Popescu told Euronews Romania: “The Mihail Kogălniceanu base will become the most important permanent NATO military structure in the immediate vicinity of the conflict in southern Ukraine.
“Let’s not imagine that this conflict will end this year in 2025, in 2026, it’s a long-term conflict.”
The base is set to be fully operational by 2040.
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Juliana Cruz Lima
