Romania to host U.S. base

U.S. missiles will be based in Romania as part of a European missile-defense system, both countries announced May 3.

The decision represents part of the continued evolution of a Bush administration missile-defense system that originally called for interceptor missiles based in Poland and a radar base in Brdy, about 90 kilometers from Prague. The Obama administration scrapped that plan in favor of a scaled-down approach centered on the Mediterranean.  

The Deveselu Air Base, in south Romania near the city of Caracal, will host the missiles, The New York Times reported. According to officials, the SM-3 missiles are expected to be active by 2015, and around 200 U.S. military personnel will be stationed to operate the system.

Russia, which was a strong opponent of the Bush-era plan, criticized the latest announcement.

"We regret to say that practical steps on building the European segment of the U.S. global defense system are being made regardless of Russian-U.S. dialogue on missile-defense problems, which was started under a decision by President Dmitri Medvedev and President Barack Obama," a press release from the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

What was originally an American system has since been adopted by NATO. As The Prague Post first reported, the revised missile-defense plan also calls for an "early warning center" to be based in or around Prague, though officials have yet to define what that facility entails.

Benjamin Cunningham can be reached at
bcunningham@praguepost.com