The US antimissile shield in Romania is complete. US Ambassador: It is not directed at Russia

Romania and the US marked the Technical Capabilities of the Aegis Ashore Site at Deveselu, in southwestern Romania, in a ceremony that took place at Romania’s Foreign Affairs Ministry headquarters in Bucharest. This means that the antimissile shield that the US Navy has installed at the Romanian military base in Deveselu is now finalized. The official inauguration will take place at Deveselu in the first half of 2016. Romania’s Foreign Affairs Minister Lazar Comanescu underlined this moment’s special significance for the strategic partnership between Romania and the US and for strengthening the transatlantic relations. “Today, the antimissile facility at Deveselu has all the operational components necessary to fulfill its mission, thus gaining technical capability,” said Comanescu. He added that this facility, which should become part of NATO’s antimissile defense capability before the Alliance’s summit that will take place in Poland next year, was strictly a defense structure adainst missile threats that may come from outside the Euro-Atlantic space. The US Ambassador to Romania Hans Klemm also spoke about the importance of this moment. “Today we are here to celebrate an important milestone for the ballistic missile defense site at Deveselu, Romania. Our partnership on Phase II of the European Phased Adaptive Approach, the United States’ and Romania’s contribution to NATO’s missile defense, is the ideal example of why bilateral military relations between the U.S. and Romania are outstanding,” Klemm said. He explained that all the major military construction on the base necessary for operating the system was complete and functioning. “We now move on to the next phase of operational testing and evaluation, in preparation for its Initial Operating Capacity declaration as well as the NATO integration process,” the Ambassador added. He reassured that the facility at Deveselu was not a threat to Russia. “First and foremost, this system is only meant to counter threats originating from outside Europe. As Ambassador Comanescu said, it is NOT, I repeat, NOT directed at Russia, nor does it have the capability to threaten Russia. We have explained this to Russia on numerous occasions,” Klemm emphasized. Earlier this week, Russian officials again spoke about the US’ and NATO’s antimissile defense systems in Eastern Europe, claiming that Russia had the necessary capacities to destroy these facilities. Romania has invested some USD 11.2 million in the Deveselu military base, which is one of the most modern military units managed by Romania’s National Defense Ministry, according to Defense Minister Mihnea Motoc. The US investment in the antimissile defense facility at Deveselu was estimated at EUR 143 million. “The project came in under-budget, thanks in no small part to the excellent cooperation we received from the Government of Romania,” said the US Ambassador.