RoAF 57th Air Base
Baza 57 Aeriană "Mihail Kogălniceanu"
Mihail Kogălniceanu, Constanța County, Romania
Two US Air Force F-22A Raptors taxiing at the base in 2016
Badge of the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base
Coordinates44°21′46.79″N 28°29′13.19″E / 44.3629972°N 28.4869972°E / 44.3629972; 28.4869972
Site information
Controlled by Romanian Air Force
Site history
Built1955
In use1955–Present
Garrison information
Current
commander		Comandor Nicolae Crețu
Occupants572nd Helicopter Squadron
Airfield information
IdentifiersIATA: CND, ICAO: LRCK
Elevation107 metres (351 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
18/36 3,500 metres (11,483 ft) Concrete

The Romanian Air Force 57th Air Base "Mihail Kogălniceanu" (Romanian: Baza 57 Aeriană "Mihail Kogălniceanu") is an air base located near Constanța, at the Mihail Kogălniceanu International Airport. It is currently home to the 572nd Helicopter Squadron. The current base commander is Comandor Nicolae Crețu, succeeding Comandor Adrian Popescu.[1]

History

Cold War era

A Romanian Yak-23 fighter

The 57th Air Base was first formed as Regimentul 14 Aviație Vânătoare Reactivă, soon to be renamed to Regimentul 172 Aviație Vânătoare, on 15 April 1951 at the Pipera Aerodrome. It was equipped with Po-2, Yak-11, Yak-23 and Yak-17 aircraft.[2]

The fighter regiment moved to the Mihail Kogălniceanu Aerodrome in 1955, following the escape by seaplane of two aviators from Escadrila 131 Hidroaviație Palazu Mare. On 1 November 1959, it was renamed to Regimentul 57 Aviație Vânătoare (57th Fighter Aviation Regiment). The name was kept until 1995.[2]

In 1979, the first MiG-23s arrived at the base. These equipped the 1st Squadron of the Regiment. The 2nd Squadron converted to the MiG-23 in 1980.[3] From 1989, the Regiment started receiving MiG-29s. The MiG-29s were assigned to the 2nd and 3rd Squadrons of the Regiment.[4]

Post-1990

MiG-29 parked at the base

The United States Armed Forces started to use the base in 1999. In 2003, it became one of four Romanian military facilities that U.S. military forces have used as a staging area for the invasion of, and ongoing counter-insurgency efforts in Iraq, operated by the 458th Air Expeditionary Group. It was intended to become one of the main operating bases of United States Army Europe's Joint Task Force East (JTF-E), a rotating task force initially to be provided by the U.S. 2nd Cavalry Regiment, which was to eventually grow to a brigade-sized force. The JTF-E concept has been reduced to the Army-only Task Force East, but the base still retains an important role, given added weight by the 2014 Crimean crisis.[5]

During the first three months of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the airport was transited by 1,300 cargo and personnel transports towards Iraq, comprising 6,200 personnel and about 11,100 tons of equipment. Since 2009, the United States has operated a Permanent Forward Operating Site (PFOS).[5]

The base was disbanded in April 2004, following the retirement of the MiG-29s, becoming an annex to the 86th Air Base. All the MiG-29s remain in open storage at the base.[6][7]

On 1 May 2007, the Mihail Kogălniceanu aerodrome was established with the mission to coordinate the aeronautical activities in the area of responsibility, to ensure the Support of the Host Nation for the armed forces in transit, and to represent the interface between the foreign armed forces that carried out activities on the aerodrome and the public authorities represented locally. On 1 January 2014, Mihail Kogălniceanu Aerodrome changed its organizational structure, by assimilating the Mihail Kogălniceanu Administrative Center, subordinated to the General Staff of the Land Forces.[8]

With the closure of the Transit Center at Manas in Kyrgyzstan, The United States military transferred processing operations for military deploying to Afghanistan and other locations to the base. The United States Army 21st Theater Sustainment Command and Air Force 780th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron are responsible for US operations there.[9]

An IAR 330 of the 572nd Helicopter Squadron unloads troops of the 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne by fast rope.

In October 2019, a detachment of 4 IAR 330L helicopters from the 572nd Helicopter Squadron was sent to participate in the UN mission to Mali. The Carpathian Pumas detachment carried out medical evacuation missions, transport of troops and materials, air patrols, and observation missions.[10] The detachment completed 380 missions until 2020.[11] During the deployment, one helicopter was damaged by a storm while refueling at the UN base in Douentza.[12]

On 12 June 2023, two B-1B Lancers of the 7th Bomb Wing stopped at the base for a hot-pit refuel. The aircraft were taking part in the Air Defender 23 exercise.[13][14]

Foreign Deployments

NATO Enhanced Air Policing

Romanian and US F-16s fly in formation alongside British and Italian Typhoons.

NATO Enhanced Air Policing started in 2014, as NATO's response to Russia's annexation of Crimea.[15] Since then several NATO members have been deployed on the base to participate in this mission:

  • The Royal Canadian Air Force, participated in the mission with CF-18 Hornet fighters since 2017.[16]
  • The Royal Air Force, has participated with its Typhoons in the mission since 2017.[15]
  • The Italian Air Force started its deployments in the mission in 2019.[17]
  • The Spanish Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons began participating in the mission in 2021.[18]
  • The German Air Force started conducting air policing missions from Mihail Kogălniceanu with Eurofighter Typhoons in 2022.[19]

On 15 August 2018, the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force four Eurofighter Typhoons based there were scrambled to intercept six Russian Air Force Su-24 Fencer bombers over the Black Sea, under the NATO Enhanced Air Policing (eAP) mission.[20]

On 5 September 2020, the Royal Canadian Air Force began a three-month NATO enhanced Air Policing mission with six CF-18 Hornet fighter jets that had deployed to Mihail Kogălniceanu.[21] As of August 2022 the RCAF has returned with its fighters to continue the missions.[22]

Other deployments

Soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division conduct an Air Assault demonstration on 30 July 2022.

The United States Marine Corps Black Sea Rotational Force was headquartered at the base from 2010 until 2018 when the Corps was moved to Norway.[23] In 2016, two F-22 Raptors arrived at the base as part of a Rapid Response program training exercise. After a few hours at the base, the F-22s flew back to Great Britain.[24]

As of 2022, an ARTEMIS special mission aircraft of the United States Army deployed here for reconnaissance of Eastern Europe.[25] Since February 2023, an Italian Air Force G550 CAEW is also deployed at the base.[26]

In June 2022, elements of the 101st Airborne Division were deployed at the base. On 30 July 2022, they uncased their colors and conducted an air assault demonstration together with the Romanian 9th Mechanized Brigade.[27][28] As of October, about 4,700 soldiers from Fort Campbell have been deployed on NATO's eastern flank, 2,400 of which are stationed at the Mihail Kogălniceanu base.[29][30]

Future expansion

In 2021, the first stage of a 2 billion euro project was launched by the Romanian Armed Forces with the goal of modernizing and expanding the base as a response to the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea. Under this project, plans are to build a small military city, similar to Ramstein Air Base, which will house around 10,000 US troops, with a total area of around 2,400 ha (5,900 acres).[31][32]

On 10 June 2022, the Ministry of Defence announced the winners of the contract for the base upgrades. Three companies, along with 22 subcontractors, will take part in the works. The state secret-level classified project is set to finish in almost 9 years.[33]

Alleged CIA black site

It was alleged to be one of the black sites involved in the CIA's network of "extraordinary renditions".[34] According to Eurocontrol data, it has been the site of four landings and two stopovers by aircraft identified as probably belonging to the CIA's fleet of rendition planes, including at least one widely used executive jet N379P (later registered, and more commonly cited, as N44982).[35]

European, but not U.S., media have widely distributed reports of a fax[36][37] intercepted by Swiss intelligence, datelined November 10, 2005, that "was sent by the Egyptian foreign minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, in Cairo, to his ambassador in London. It revealed that the United States had detained at least 23 Iraqi and Afghan captives at a military base called Mihail Kogălniceanu in Romania, and added that similar secret prisons were also to be found in Poland, Ukraine, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Bulgaria."[38]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Baza 57 Aeriană are un nou comandant". Aviația Magazin (in Romanian). 30 July 2022.
  2. 1 2 Nelu Enache (7 May 2018). "Omagierea unui regiment de elită Regimentul 57 Aviație Vânătoare de la Mihail Kogălniceanu". Ziua Constanța (in Romanian).
  3. ↑ "Martea tehnica: Kh-66/Kh-23 (AS-7 Kerry)". www.resboiu.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  4. ↑ Vlad Anton. "Un exponat unicat: MiG-29 Sniper". Historia (in Romanian).
  5. 1 2 Darius Martinescu (21 February 2013). "Zece ani cu US ARMY. Cu ce s-au ales românii". România liberă.
  6. ↑ "Constanța – Bâzu Cantacuzino". www.scramble.nl.
  7. ↑ "Cum a ajuns MiG-ul 29 in Romania. Elena Ceaușescu, la un pas de a anula achiziția". Aviația Magazin (in Romanian). 16 March 2013.
  8. ↑ "Aerodromul Mihail Kogălniceanu". RoAF (in Romanian).
  9. ↑ Nickel, SSG Shawn (August 22, 2014). "Romania air base replaces Transit Center Manas". Air Forces Central Public Affairs. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Detașamentul de patru Elicoptere "Carpathian Pumas"". RoAF (in Romanian).
  11. ↑ "Misiunea militarilor români din Mali s-a încheiat după 380 de misiuni". Mediafax (in Romanian). 22 October 2020.
  12. ↑ "Un elicopter al Forțelor Aeriene Române a fost avariat în Mali". Cuget Liber (in Romanian). 10 August 2020.
  13. ↑ "Premieră absolută în România: Două bombardiere strategice B-1B ale SUA au aterizat la Constanța la Mihail Kogălniceanu". DefenseRomania (in Romanian). 13 June 2023.
  14. ↑ Allison Payne (13 June 2023). "B-1B Lancers receive first-ever hot-pit refuel in Romania". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.
  15. 1 2 "Royal Air Force Typhoons support NATO's enhanced Air Policing in Romania". Allied Air Command. 31 March 2022.
  16. ↑ "Certification ceremony of the Royal Canadian Air Forces detachment with a view of conducting Enhanced Air Poling missions". Ministerul Apărării Naționale. 8 September 2021.
  17. ↑ "Certification ceremony of the Italian detachment deployed on mission to Romania". Ministerul Apărării Naționale. 13 December 2021.
  18. ↑ "NATO's enhanced Air Policing over Romania". Ministerio de Defensa.
  19. ↑ "Eurofighter Typhoon Aircraft, at Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base". Ministerul Apărării Naționale. 23 November 2023.
  20. ↑ Britain's RAF intercepts six Russian bombers over Black Sea, Space Daily, 2018-08-15
  21. ↑ "Canada's Air Task Force – Romania begins 2020 NATO enhanced Air Policing mission". www.canada.ca. 3 September 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  22. ↑ "Canada's Air Task Force – Romania begins NATO Air Policing mission". 4 August 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  23. ↑ Shawn Snow (Nov 29, 2018). "No more Marine rotations to the Black Sea. The Corps is focusing here instead". Marine Corps Times.
  24. ↑ "U.S. sends F-22 warplanes to Romania". CNN. April 26, 2016.
  25. ↑ AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. April 2022. p. 15.
  26. ↑ David Cenciotti (13 March 2023). "Italian Air Force Quietly Deployed G550 CAEW To Romania As Part Of New Task Group 'Argo'". theaviationist.com.
  27. ↑ "101st Airborne Division arrives in Europe to support NATO Allies". www.army.mil. 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
  28. ↑ "After 80 years the Screaming Eagles return to Europe". www.army.mil. 2022-07-30. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
  29. ↑ "The U.S. Army's 101st Airborne is practicing for war with Russia just miles from Ukraine's border". CBS News. October 21, 2022.
  30. ↑ "The Famous US 101st Airborne Division Returned To Europe For The First Time Since 1944". Romania Journal. 1 August 2022.
  31. ↑ "Mihail Kogălniceanu va deveni una dintre cele mai mari baze NATO din Europa de Est". Defense Romania (in Romanian). 6 November 2019.
  32. ↑ "România lansează megaproiectul de miliarde de euro de la baza Kogălniceanu invocând inclusiv "revirimentul Războiului Rece" și anexarea Crimeei de către Rusia". Profit.ro (in Romanian). 8 March 2021.
  33. ↑ "Gata! A fost desemnat constructorul orașului NATO de la Mihail Kogălniceanu!". www.replicaonline.ro (in Romanian). 13 June 2022.
  34. ↑ Carvajal, Doreen (2006-01-12). "Swiss Investigate Leak to Paper on C.I.A. Prisons in Eastern Europe". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-12.
  35. ↑ Temporary Committee on the alleged use of European countries by the CIA for the transport and illegal detention of prisoners (November 16, 2006). "Working Document No. 8" (PDF).
  36. ↑ US-Folter-Camps: Der Beweis! - Aktuell - SonntagsBlick - Blick Online
  37. ↑ unknown (January 9, 2006). "Egyptian Fax Throws Light on "Black Sites"". Der Spiegel.
  38. ↑ Scotland's Sunday Herald, March 2, 2003
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