It even surpasses the dimensions of Ramstein in Germany.
The nearby Mihai Kogalniceanu (MK) air base, which has the same name as the village in eastern Romania, will soon become the largest NATO base in Europe. The base will be larger than the one in Ramstein, Germany, the BBC has learned.
The newspaper knows that the MK base will soon house a squadron of Romanian F-16 aircraft, which were recently purchased from Norway.
There will also be MQ-9 Reaper drones and a military city will be built to house NATO personnel from 32 countries.
Quoting the decision-makers, the BBC emphasized that this step was justified by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It was noted that while NATO aircraft avoid clashes with the Russians, two incidents have already occurred over the Black Sea:
– In September 2022, a Russian pilot misunderstood ground control orders and narrowly missed shooting down a British intelligence plane
– And in March 2023, an American MQ-9 Reaper drone was deliberately shot down by a Russian Su-27 aircraft.
In the article, it was emphasized that the American presence is much greater here, and the infrastructure, accommodation and equipment are also much more developed.
They recalled that during its last deployment in 2021, NATO fighter pilots flew far from the international waters of the Black Sea. However, they are now insisting on the zone over Romanian and Bulgarian territorial waters, in order to avoid "escalation situations with the Russians".
Cover image: An F-16 Fighting Falcon
Source: US Army/Staff Sgt. Cherie A. Thurlby)/Wikipedia
