Deveselu, Romania -- General
Frank Gorenc, Commander, Headquarters Allied Air Command, led a delegation on 9
February 2016 to Romania to visit the AEGIS Ashore Missile Defense System,
Romania (AAMDS). This site is the first of two such systems to be provided as
part of the United States European Phased Adaptive Approach initiated in 2009 to
defend against current and future missile threats to bases and cities in Europe. As part
of the continuing progress for NATO’s Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) programme
to reach Initial Operation Capability, AAMDS represents a significant advance
in persistent engagement capability
Romanian hosts with NATO visiting commanders against the backdrop of the AEGIS Ashore missile defence facility at Develesu (from left to right): Major
General Laurian Atanasof, Chief of the Romanian Air Force, GeneralNicolae-Ionel Ciucă, Chief of the Romanian General Staff, General Frank Gorenc,
Commander AIRCOM, Lieutenant General Dominique de Longvilliers, Deputy Commander AIRCOM and Commodore Razvan Bratulescu, 99
Deveselu base commander. Photo courtesy U.S. Navy
Declared as a
technical capability during a ceremony attended by the NATO Assistant Secretary
General for Defence Investment, Mr. Patrick Auroy, the Romanian-based AEGIS
Ashore system is designed to protect Europe and Allied Nations from the growing
world-wide ballistic missile threat. Another AEGIS Ashore system is planned for activation in Poland in
2018.
Headquarters
AIRCOM at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, is responsible for ensuring the command and
control network of the BMD systems for the Alliance. The headquarters continues to enhance and
expand its infrastructure and systems to meet the upcoming BMD initial
operational capability benchmark for NATO. Missile defence protection coverage
for NATO territory in Europe has been significantly increased and Allies are
working hard to develop the system in the lead-up to the Warsaw Summit.
Besides General
Frank Gorenc, the delegation visiting the AEGIS Ashore system in Romania included
French Lieutenant General Dominique de Longvilliers, Deputy Commander AIRCOM
and General Nicolae-Ionel Ciucă, Chief of the Romanian General Staff, and Major
General Laurian Atanasof, Chief of the Romanian Air Force.
CommandingOfficer, AAMDS, Romania, U.S. Navy Commander Andrew Carlson (left) explains the
AAMDS to visiting Romanian and NATO AIRCOM leadership.- Photo courtesy U.S. Navy
Hosted by the
Commanding Officer, AAMDS, Romania, U.S. Navy Commander Andrew Carlson, the
purpose of the visit was to better understand the operation of the AEGIS Ashore
system and how it will increase NATO’s BMD capability.
Story
by HQ AIRCOM Public Affairs Office