NATO on Wednesday (12 May 2021) marked the 10th anniversary of the agreement between Romania and the United States to establish NATO’s land-based ballistic missile defence system in southern Romania.
Addressing senior officials at the Romanian Senate via video-link, Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană thanked Romania for hosting the “Aegis Ashore” missile defence site in the town of Deveselu, which provides 24/7 defence against ballistic missiles from outside the Euro-Atlantic area. Built and operated by the United States on behalf of NATO, the missile defence base forms part of a larger European NATO missile shield which also includes radars and ships across Europe.
At the NATO Lisbon Summit in 2010, Allies decided to develop a capability to protect NATO’s European members from ballistic missile threats from outside the Euro-Atlantic area. Initial operational capability was achieved in 2016. Mr Geoană stressed that NATO’s work on missile defence continues, as missiles remain a weapon of choice for potential adversaries. He stressed that missile defence plays a vital role for NATO’s deterrence and is purely defensive.
Looking towards the Brussels Summit in June, the Deputy Secretary General underlined that the meeting will be a unique opportunity to reinforce NATO as the enduring embodiment of the bond between Europe and North America.