Construction has begun at what is to be the largest NATO military base in Europe to date, located in the southern Romanian region of Constanța, expanding the existing Mihail Kogălniceanu base, Euronews Romania reported.

The enlarged base will cover roughly 2,800 hectares and will be able to permanently accommodate up to 10,000 NATO soldiers and their families. The project is valued at EUR 2.5 billion and includes runways, platforms for weaponry, hangars for military aircraft, as well as schools, kindergartens, shops, and even a hospital.

The initial phase of the construction includes basic infrastructure, namely access roads and the electrical network, as well as a new runway. The existing airport infrastructure will also be made complete with new spaces for aircraft. 

“Hangars for maintenance, fuel depots, ammunition, equipment, technical aviation materials, simulators, catering facilities, lodging, everything that is needed to support the functioning and missions of a base of this magnitude,” said Nicolae Crețu, commander of the 57th Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, cited by Euronews Romania. 

“Apart from the capabilities of the 57th Air Base at our location, we are also prepared and are planning the necessary infrastructure to be able to host and support ground capabilities, for special operations or any other type of military capability that is necessary to respond to the security context,” he added.

Retired United States Army officer Ben Hodges also shared the news on X, saying that the expansion of the Romanian military base is important for implementing the Black Sea strategy.

Very good news. The latest example of Romanian contributions to collective defense. MK has for years been an important hub in the Black Sea region for NATO Air Policing and for US logistics and training. MK Expansion is important for implementing Black Sea strategy. https://t.co/YlAFoCanh7

— Ben Hodges (@general_ben) March 18, 2024

Once completed, the base at Mihail Kogălniceanu will become the largest in Europe. It will surpass the Ramstein base in Germany, which covers roughly 1,400 hectares. By comparison, the new base in Romania will be double that, boasting a total perimeter of 30 kilometers. 

The Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base currently hosts approximately five thousand military personnel, most of them American soldiers.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Calin)