NATO completes upgrade of missile defense system in Romania

NATO completed last Friday, August 9, a long-planned update of its Aegis Ashore Ballistic Missile Defense system at the Deveselu base in Romania.

The update has been taking place across the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system fleet and did not provide any offensive capability to the Aegis Ashore missile defense system, NATO said in a press release.

“The update is part of the United States European Phased Adaptive Approach to ballistic missile defence, which was announced in September 2009,” the press release reads.

During the update, NATO temporarily deployed a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to the Deveselu base, and now that the upgrade is complete and the Aegis Ashore is back online, the “THAAD system will be redeployed as planned.”

NATO announced the upgrade of the missile defense system in Romania and the deployment of the THHAD system to the Deveselu base in mid-April this year. Russia reacted to the news and said that it was “closely following” this move of the US. Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko said at that time that Russia has two questions related to this deployment: what reasons are for the THAAD deployment as it is and what the modernization of facilities in Romania involves. He also told the reporters: "We are closely following this. There is a Russian saying ‘Nothing is more permanent than a temporary fix’.”

(Photo source: U.S. Embassy)**