RoAF 57th Air Base.svg) | |||||||
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Baza 57 Aeriană "Căpitan Aviator Constantin Cantacuzino" | |||||||
| Mihail Kogălniceanu,Constanța County NearConstanța in Romania | |||||||
 British and Finnish fighter jets prepare to scramble during exercise Ramstein Legacy 2024 | |||||||
 Coat of arms of the 57th Air Base | |||||||
| Site information | |||||||
| Owner | Ministry of National Defence | ||||||
| Operator | Romanian Air Force United States Army | ||||||
| Location | |||||||
  RoAF 57th Air Base  RoAF 57th Air Base | |||||||
| Coordinates | 44°21′46.79″N28°29′13.19″E / 44.3629972°N 28.4869972°E /44.3629972; 28.4869972 | ||||||
| Site history | |||||||
| Built | 1955 (1955) | ||||||
| In use | 1955–present | ||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||
| Current commander | General de flotilă aeriană Nicolae Crețu | ||||||
| Occupants |
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| Airfield information | |||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: CND,ICAO: LRCK | ||||||
| Elevation | 107 metres (351 ft)AMSL | ||||||
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The57th Air Base "Captain Aviator Constantin Cantacuzino" (Romanian:Baza 57 Aeriană "Căpitan Aviator Constantin Cantacuzino"), also known asMihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, is aRomanian Air Force base located nearConstanța, at theMihail Kogălniceanu International Airport. It is home to the 572nd Helicopter Squadron,[1] while the571st Fighter Squadron is forming atCâmpia Turzii until the base improvements are completed.[2] The air base also has a significant US military presence, being the location of theUS Army Garrison Black Sea andArea Support Group Black Sea, hosting over 1,400 US troops.[3][4][5]
In 2024, construction began on a project aimed at modernizing and expanding the base. Under the same project, it is planned to build a military city similar toRamstein Air Base, where more than 10,000NATO servicemen will live together with their families,[6][7][8] although this number could be doubled to 20,000 soldiers of which half would be stationed permanently and half on temporary deployments.[9]
The current base commander isGeneral de flotilă aeriană Nicolae Crețu.[10]
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The 57th Air Base was first formed asRegimentul 14 Aviație Vânătoare Reactivă, soon to be renamed toRegimentul 172 Aviație Vânătoare, on 15 April 1951 at thePipera Aerodrome. It was equipped withPo-2,Yak-11,Yak-23 andYak-17 aircraft.[11]
The fighter regiment moved to theMihail Kogălniceanu Aerodrome in 1955, following the escape byseaplane of two aviators fromEscadrila 131 HidroaviațiePalazu Mare. On 1 November 1959, it was renamed toRegimentul 57 Aviație Vânătoare (57th Fighter Aviation Regiment). The name was kept until 1995.[11] The base receivedMiG-17 fighters in 1960, followed byMiG-21F-13s in 1962. By 1972, the base was equipped only with MiG-21 fighters.[1]
In 1979, the firstMiG-23s arrived at the base. These equipped the 1st Squadron of the Regiment. The 2nd Squadron converted to the MiG-23 in 1980.[12] From 1989, the Regiment started receivingMiG-29s. The MiG-29s were assigned to the 2nd and 3rd Squadrons of the Regiment.[13]
In July 1995, the 57th Fighter Aviation Regiment was disbanded and replaced by the 57th Air Base, with the 57th Fighter Aviation Group. The group had two MiG-29 squadrons and one MiG-23 squadron. In 2002, the 59th Helicopter Regiment fromTuzla was disbanded and its personnel and equipment were integrated into the 57th Fighter Aviation Group.[1]
Parts of the U.S.Department of Defense, principally fromUnited States European Command, started to use the base in 1999.[14] The airport and the former militarygarrison of the34th Territorial Mechanized Brigade became the first US base to open in Romania.[15] 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, andcounter-insurgency efforts inIraq, operated by the458th Air Expeditionary Group. During the first three months of the2003 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. The base retains an important role, given added weight by theannexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.[16]
The base was disbanded in April 2004, following the retirement of the MiG-29s, becoming an annex to the86th Air Base. All the MiG-29s remain in open storage at the base.[17][18] The 863rd Helicopter Squadron remained the only permanent unit of the base. Before it was disbanded, the base also receivedMiG-21 LanceR fighters with personnel from the 86th Air Base.[1] Until the retiring of the LanceRs in 2023, the base hosted the 861st Fighter Squadron of the 86th Air Base.[19] In 2006, the MiGs from Mihail Kogalniceanu took part the Viper Lance 2006 exercise together withF-16 Fighting Falcons of the22nd Fighter Squadron which were deployed at the base for the duration of the exercise. This was also the first time American F-16 crews trained in Romania.[20]
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 June, the Administrative Center-Mihail Kogălniceanu Airport (Military Unit 01837) was established and took responsibility of the location. In January 2014, Mihail Kogălniceanu Aerodrome changed its organizational structure by assimilating the Mihail Kogălniceanu Administrative Center subordinated to the General Staff of theLand Forces.[1]
In 2007 and 2011, the air base hosted theUSAF Thunderbirds during theair shows that took place at the airport.[1] With the closure of theTransit Center at Manas inKyrgyzstan, the United States military transferred processing operations for military deploying toAfghanistan and other locations to the base. The United States Army21st Theater Sustainment Command and Air Force780th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron were responsible for US operations there.[21]
In July 2018, during the restructuring and modernization of the Romanian Army, the 57th Air Base was re-established and placed under the command of the Air Force Staff.[1]
In October 2019, a detachment of 4IAR 330L helicopters from the 572nd Helicopter Squadron was sent to participate in theUN mission to Mali. TheCarpathian Pumas detachment carried out medical evacuation missions, transport of troops and materials, air patrols, and observation missions.[22] The detachment completed 380 missions until 2020.[23] During the deployment, one helicopter was damaged by a storm while refueling at the UN base inDouentza.[24]
Several unidentifiedunmanned aerial vehicles were detected flying close to the base in April 2024. The drones, determined to be small civilian types, were subsequently brought down withelectronic warfare equipment, although no remains were found. The military prosecutor's office started an investigation following the events.[25][26][27] Similar events also occurred over other Romanian air bases since 2022.[28]
On the occasion ofHer Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown andPrince Radu's visit to the base on 17 May 2024, it was announced that the 57th Air Base received the name "Captain Aviator Constantin Cantacuzino", in honor of Romania'stop scoring ace ofWorld War II,Prince Constantin "Bâzu" Cantacuzino.[29] The 57th Fighter Aviation Group previously held this honorific name from its establishment in 1995 until the disbanding of the 57th Air Base in 2004.[30][31]
In January 2025, the base was targeted byfake news spread byfar-right politicianCălin Georgescu. Georgescu claimed that the base was going to be used to launch an attack on Russia and startWorld War III before theinauguration of Donald Trump on 20 January. Such news were dismissed by the Romanian Ministry of National Defence and byJames C. O'Brien, theAssistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.[10][32]
Starting from May 2025, the571st Fighter Squadron which is to be based at Mihail Kogălniceanu began forming at the71st Air Base fromCâmpia Turzii. The 571st is to remain there until the base upgrades are completed at Mihail Kogălniceanu.[2]
It has been suggested that the base would play a significant role in supporting thepeacekeeping effort inUkraine. SincePrime MinisterIlie Bolojan has stated that Romania is ready to offer its military infrastructure forsecuring peace in Ukraine and as one of the largest air bases inEastern Europe, Mihail Kogălniceanu could accommodateheavy transport andtanker aircraft of the United States such as theC-5 Galaxy or theKC-135 Stratotanker, providing the logistical foundation of a US-backed mission.[33]
In 2021, the first stage of a 2 billioneuro project was launched by theRomanian Armed Forces to modernize and expand the base as a response to the2014 Russian annexation of Crimea. Under this project, approved by theRomanian Government in 2019, plans are to build a small military city, similar toRamstein Air Base. This project will house around 50,000NATO troops and civilians, with a total area of around 2,800 ha (6,900acres).[6][34][35] Geopolitical analyst Dorin Popescu considers it will become a "permanent NATO military structure."[36] and a Romanian Defence Ministry official toldEuractiv that as a result of the "decision to expand NATO's military base. Romania will have stronger security guarantees."[37]
The project includes expanding the areas of barracks 888, 1288, 3494, and 2354, and building regular andprotective aircraft hangars, maintenance hangars, anengine testing area, administrative and social centers, aphotovoltaic park, and two new runways.[38][35] The military city will include schools, kindergartens, shops, and a hospital.[39] The project is divided into four stages, which will be implemented over 20 years.[40] Mihail Kogălniceanu is set to become NATO's biggest airbase in Europe.[41]
In June 2022, theMinistry of Defence announced the winners of the first stage of the contract for the base upgrades. Three companies and 22subcontractors will participate in the works. Thestate secret-level classified project is set to finish in almost nine years.[42]
Construction began in 2024 on the south side of the future base, where a high-capacity electrical network and access roads are being built.[7] On 11 June 2024, construction started on the first runway of the base after agroundbreaking ceremony attended by the Minister of National Defence, the Deputy Chief of the Defense Staff, the Air Force Chief of Staff, and the head of the Domains and Infrastructures Directorate.[43] The construction of the runway is set to finish in 2027.[44]
The news of the base expansion project has caused concern among Russian officials.[45] As early as March 2024, Russian politicians have issued warnings to Romania over the project, withAndrey Klimov, deputy Chairman of theFederation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs, calling it a "threat for Bucharest" and warning that the base is "more likely to be among the first targets for retaliatory strikes."[46][47]
The Enhanced Air Policing (eAP) mission was established in 2014 as NATO's response to Russia's annexation of Crimea.[48] Since then several NATO member nations have deployed to the base to participate in this mission:
The first deployment to Mihail Kogălniceanu as part of theNATO enhancedAir Policing mission was a detachment of four Eurofighter Typhoons of theUnited Kingdom's Royal Air Force. The detachment, part ofNo. 135 Expeditionary Air Wing under the code-namedOperation Biloxi, arrived at the air base on 24 April 2017. Until August 2017, these Eurofighters belonging toNo. 3 Squadron, conducted over 280 sorties in support of the NATO training operations in the region and one sortie in response toRussian Air Force activity over theBlack Sea.[55][56] On 15 August 2018, four Eurofighter Typhoons ofNo. 1 Squadron, 135 Expeditionary Air Wing were scrambled to intercept six RussianSu-24 Fencer bombers over the Black Sea.[57][58]
In August 2017, the Royal Canadian Air Force replaced the RAF on the eAP mission with a detachment of four CF-18 Hornet fighters. The personnel belonged to the409 Tactical Fighter Squadron, and were supported by the2 Air Expeditionary Wing and17 Wing Winnipeg. The Canadian mission is part ofOperation Reassurance. The first deployment lasted from August to December 2017.[59] On 5 September 2020, Canada's Air Task Force contributed six CF-18s to the eAP mission.[60] In 2022, eight CF-18s were brought to the base.[61]
On 3 June 2024, seven Finnish F/A-18 Hornets of31 Squadron fromRissala Air Base arrived at Mihail Kogălniceanu for a two-month deployment as part of the enhanced Air Policing mission. This marked the first Finnish Air Force deployment on a NATO mission since thecountry's accession to the alliance.[54][62]
In 2009, construction for the newUnited States Army base on the site of the former 34th Territorial Mechanized Brigade garrison was completed. The PermanentForward Operating Site (PFOS) operated by the United States was intended to become one of the main operating bases ofUnited States Army Europe's Joint Task Force East (JTF-E), a rotating task force initially to be provided by theU.S. 2nd Cavalry Regiment, which was to eventually grow to abrigade-sized force. The JTF-E concept was reduced to the Army-only Task Force East.[16] Task Force East has since been transformed intoArea Support Group Black Sea (ASG-BS) of the21st Theater Sustainment Command.[4]
In 2016, the Army Support Activity-Black Sea (ASA-Black Sea) was established with the role of supporting the American soldiers deployed at the base as well as those deployed to theNovo Selo Range inBulgaria. ASA-Black Sea was first part ofUS Army Garrison Ansbach [de] then moved underUS Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz [de]. In June 2024, the Army Support Activity was transformed into the US Army Garrison Black Sea (USAG Black Sea) of theUnited States Army Installation Management Command, the ninth US Army Garrison in Europe.[3][63]
As part ofOperation Atlantic Resolve, a US Army Light Division is deployed at the base on a nine-month rotation basis.[64] With the reactivation of theUS Army V Corps, the unit came under its command.[65] As of 2023, the Division comprises anInfantry Brigade Combat Team, and aSustainment Brigade. Multiplerotary-wing elements from theRegionally Aligned Forces rotation force are also deployed at the base.[3] As of March 2025, over 1,400 American soldiers are stationed at Mihail Kogălniceanu.[5]
In June 2022, elements of the101st Airborne Division were deployed at the base. On 30 July 2022, they uncased their colors and conducted an air assault demonstration together with the Romanian9th Mechanized Brigade.[66][67] As of October 2022, about 4,700 soldiers fromFort Campbell were deployed on NATO's eastern flank, 2,400 of which were at the Mihail Kogălniceanu base, marking the first deployment of the 101st Division to Europe in nearly 80 years.[68][69] In July 2024, the 101st Division completed its first rotations and was replaced by the10th Mountain Division.[70]
TheUnited States Marine CorpsBlack Sea Rotational Force was headquartered at the base from 2010 until 2018, when the Corps was moved toNorway.[71] In 2016, twoF-22 Raptors arrived at the base as part of aRapid Response program training exercise. After a few hours at the base, the F-22s flew back to the United Kingdom.[72]
In March 2016, four CF-188 Hornets of the Royal Canadian Air Force425 Tactical Fighter Squadron were deployed at the base for about a month, to participate in the Resilient Resolve 2016 exercise.[73]
Starting from 2022, anARTEMIS special mission aircraft of the United States Army deployed here for reconnaissance of Eastern Europe.[74] Elements of theFrench-led Multinational Battlegroup headquartered atCincu underMission Aigle are also deployed at the base since 2022.[75] In 2023, anItalian Air ForceG550 CAEW was also deployed at the base.[76]
On 12 June 2023, twoB-1B Lancers of the7th Bomb Wing stopped at the base for a hot-pit refuel. The aircraft were taking part in theAir Defender 23 exercise.[77][78] On 21 July 2024, twoB-52 Stratofortress bombers arrived at the air base as part ofBomber Task Force 24-4. Operating as the20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, this was the first time Stratofortress bombers operated out of Romania. While flying over theBarents Sea, the two bombers were intercepted by Russian MiG-29 andMiG-31 fighters but continued on their flight path to Romania, being escorted by Finnish F/A-18s, German Eurofighters and Romanian F-16s until their arrival at Mihail Kogălniceanu.[79][80]
It was alleged to be one of theblack sites involved in theCIA's network of "extraordinary renditions".[81] According toEurocontrol 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 usedGulfstream V executive jetN379P, later registered, and more commonly cited, as N44982.[82]
European, but not U.S., media have widely distributed reports of a fax intercepted bySwiss intelligence, datelined 10 November 2005, that "was sent by theEgyptian foreign minister,Ahmed Aboul Gheit, inCairo, to his ambassador inLondon. It revealed that the United States had detained at least 23Iraqi andAfghan captives at a military base called Mihail Kogălniceanu in Romania, and added that similar secret prisons were to be found inPoland,Ukraine,Kosovo,Macedonia, and Bulgaria."[83][84][85]
The US military base infrastructure includesbarracks,DFAC andMWR facilities, an Aid Station as well as aFire &MP Station, a Troop Medical Center, a gym and apost exchange facility. The airfield runway can accommodate rotary-wing throughC-5 aircraft. The base has arail connection with side-loading ramps. Training facilities havecompany-size maneuver training capabilities and include live-fireshooting ranges.[3]
The following flying and non-flying units are located at Mihail Kogălniceanu.[1][65][86]
Romanian Air Force[edit]Air Force General Staff
NATO[edit]Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE)
| United States Army[edit]United States Army Europe and Africa(USAREUR-AF)
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Romania [...] plans to invest more than 2.5 billion euros ($2.9 billion) into its Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in the coming years, expanding its capacity to accommodate 10,000 Romanian and allied troops.
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