US-Romania Missile System Deployed Close to Bulgarian Border

Romanian President Traian Basescu speaks about the US shield over Europe during an official statement, shortly after the visit of US Undersecretary of State Ellen Tauscher ended in Bucharest. Photo by EPA/BGNES

The United States and Romania jointly selected the Deveselu Air Base near Caracal, Romania, to host a US Ballistic Missile Defense System, according to an official announcement of the US State Department.

The announcement, published Tuesday, informs that the System employs the SM-3 interceptor (also referred to as the "Aegis Ashore System") while the deployment to Romania is anticipated to occur in the 2015 timeframe as part of the second phase of the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) – the US national contribution to a NATO missile defense architecture.

The US Ballistic Missile Defense site is approximately 430 acres (175 hectares) and is located within the existing Romanian Air Base at Deveselu.

Deveselu is about 50 kilometers away from the Romanian-Bulgarian border. The closest Bulgarian location is the village of Zagrazhden between the towns of Oryahovo and Nikopol.

According to the US State Department, an estimated 200 military, government civilians, and support contractors will be required to operate the US facility at the site, but Romanian President, Traian Basescu, in his own TV announcement, said the number could reach 500.

"The Ballistic Missile Defense System is not aimed at Russia," Basescu stressed.

One year ago, US Undersecretary of State Ellen Tauscher, declared that the United States have not asked Bulgaria to locate elements of the missile defense in Europe on its territory.

Bulgarian President, Georgi Parvanov, recently stated the country must become part of NATO missile defense, but the public will have to be informed with precision and detail. In a rare move, Defense Minister, Anyu Angelov, joined the President in this opinion.

The EPAA will provide protection of NATO European territories and populations, and augment protection of the United States, against the increasing threats posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles from the Middle East, the US State Department points out.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!