BBC feature looks inside Romanian village set to become largest NATO airbase in Europe

BBC has recently published a feature about the Mihail Kogălniceanu base in Constanța county, Romania, which is set to become the largest NATO airbase in Europe, "bigger even than Ramstein in Germany." Named after the village nearby, the military facility is located close to the Black Sea coast and is being enlarged under a project that kicked off earlier this year.

A second 3.5km runway is currently being built at the base, in addition to new hangars and other facilities.

Romania's recently purchased F-16s will be stationed here, "as well as MQ-9 Reaper drones, and a military city through which NATO army, air force and naval personnel from 32 countries will rotate," journalist Nick Thorpe reported.

For the feature, the BBC correspondent for Central Europe also talked to RAF pilot Flt Lt Charlie Tagg, who is currently on his third and final tour of duty at the Romanian base.

"There's a much bigger US presence here, a lot more infrastructure, accommodation, people and equipment," Tagg said, further detailing how Russia's invasion of Ukraine has changed how NATO fighter pilots fly in the region. They now stick to the 12 nautical mile zone above Romanian and Bulgarian territorial waters "to avoid misunderstandings, escalatory situations with the Russians."

The long-term expansion of the Mihail Kogălniceanu base in Romania is meant to consolidate NATO's eastern flank. According to March 2024 reports, the initial phase of the construction includes basic infrastructure, namely access roads and the electrical network, as well as a new runway.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Calin)