CAMPIA TURZII, Romania – Romanian and U.S. officials joined together at Air Base 71 today to celebrate the completion of three new facilities intended to increase the capacity of the Romanian Air Force base here to host operations in support of regional security. The three projects are part of a larger, more than $100 million construction program at the base funded through the United States’ European Deterrence Initiative.
Air Base 71 Commander, Romanian Air Force Brig. Gen. Micloş Cătălin-Eugen noted that though he only recently took command of the base he has spent a great deal of his career there and seeing the improvements means a lot to him.
“I have dealt with a lot of projects like this… building a new air base with squadron facilities, hangars, shelters and when I see this, I see the new face of this base,” said Micloş, who hosted the ceremony with U.S. military officials. “This is a growing base and everything is becoming better and better. I think in the air base history this is the best time ever. This project shows us how a special partnership should look like.”
Miclos was joined by U.S. Air Forces in Europe Director of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection Col. Christopher Leonard, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District Chief of Engineering and Construction Roger Vogler, U.S. Air Force Mission and Support Center Detachment 4 Commander Col. Richard Martin, U.S. Air Force 31st Fighter Wing Deputy Commander Col. Beau Diers, U.S. Air Force Maj. Emily Trop from the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest’s Office of Defense Cooperation and others to celebrate the recently completed projects and the partnership between the United States and Romania at the base.
“Today, we celebrate that commitment and recognize the strides we have made to develop the alliance’s infrastructure through $34 Million in military construction here at Campia Turzii, including parking aprons, a hangar, and the Squadron Operations Facility,” Leonard said. These facilities, along with another 9 Military Construction projects, will enable our partnership to secure regional stability, enhance interoperability between Romania and the United States, enable future joint exercises between our nations’ forces, and, if the need should arise, fight, and win together.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages the construction of the projects at Air Base 71, which are funded through the U.S. European Command’s European Deterrence Initiative using U.S. Air Force military construction funds. The projects are coordinated closely with the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Embassy in Romania and Romanian Air Force partners.
“Here in Campia Turzii, these new projects are part of a larger construction program we’re proud to be managing in close coordination with our Romanian, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Embassy partners that overall includes an investment of more than $100 million in projects on this great base and more than $220 million at military installations across Romania,” Vogler said. “The projects here at Air Base 71 and across Romania contribute to the readiness and responsiveness of U.S. forces in Europe, reinforce the collective defense and security of NATO allies, and support of our shared goals of regional security.”
The three recently completed projects include a new squadron operations facility, aircraft hangar and parking apron.
The squadron operations facility will be used as a nerve center for planning and directing missions operating from the base. The new, more than 1,300 square meter aircraft hangar includes space for an aircraft maintenance bay, other functions in support of aircraft and can support parking and maintenance for modern international aircraft used by NATO Allied air forces. The new parking apron provides space for the safe parking and maneuvering of several additional operational aircraft.
By increasing the capacity of the base for operations, these projects help ensure the base can support operations of U.S. and NATO aircraft and crews.
The more than $100 million in projects at Air Base 71 are part of more than $220 million in United States-funded European Deterrence Initiative construction the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is managing at Romanian military installations in close partnership with Romanian Allies. Additional investments outside of Air Base 71 are mostly at the Cincu Training Area and Air Base 57, commonly referred to by many as Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base or MK Air Base.