American company Kellogg Brown & Root Services Inc recently won the bid to build the anti-missile shield system, at Deveselu, in Romania. The USD 134 million contract was awarded by the Pentagon, and funding will come via a combination of money for military constructions from the 2013 budget, and research & development and engineering funds from the same budget.

Work will be carried in Romania and in Morrestown, New Jersey, and include the missile launch installation, the building for the Aegis radar, other military buildings, as well as the housing area and creating security systems. The winner was chosen out of eight total offers. Kellogg Brown & Root Services Inc, based in Virginia, is a global engineering, construction and services company, active in 70 countries, which posted USD 7.7 billion in revenues in 2012. Its profit was of USD 202 million, less than half the profit in 2011.

The Deveselu base, for which Romania signed an agreement with the US in 2011, will be part of US' European anti-missile shield. The local component of this shield will cover 175 hectares and around 200 American staff and troops will be stationed in Romania once the base becomes functional, in 2015. This is part of the second phase of US' anti-missile defense strategy in Europe.

According to the agreement signed in 2011, Deveselu remains under Romania’s property and sovereign jurisdiction. “U.S. forces will use the base without prejudice to the Romanian legislation”, shows the agreement. Moreover, the basic operations will be conducted only with taking into account the public health and safety, and “all buildings, including those built, used, modified or improved by U.S. forces, are owned by the Romanian, while mobile objects and installations remain the property of the U.S. forces or U.S. contractors “, according to the Article 4 of the agreement. Also, Romania will have to establish a restricted air space above and around the base, and the number of U.S. forces members and civilian component in the base after the construction phase is completed, it will not exceed 500.

The base and Romanian military and civilian personnel will be under Romanian control exercised by a representative of the Romanian Armed Forces. This Romanian commander "will advise about the relationship with local and governmental Romanian institutions and will facilitate contacts such institutions", "will participate in coordinating mutual logistics support for military personnel and civilians in the base", "will participate in the security coordination inside the base, and "will participate in the coordination of joint training inside the base".

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: defense.gov)