Romania becomes part of the missile defence system

The operation of the SM-3 missile launcher base was officially inaugurated on 12 May 2016 in Deveselu, Romania. This was part of the NATO, and in fact US, ballistic missile defence system. This system was intended to protect European NATO member states from short- and medium-range missiles from the Middle East. The system included a radar in Turkey (in operation since 2011), a command centre in Germany, Aegis system launchers on US ships along the Spanish coastline and ground launchers in Romania. Another base, analogous to the Romanian one, was built in Poland as a further element of the system (it was expected to reach operational readiness in 2018).

On 13 May 2016 the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, said that the deployment of the US interceptors in Eastern Europe upset strategic stability, that it had an offensive, anti-Russian character and that it breached the Treaty on Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces signed in 1987. He threatened that retaliatory Russian measures would have an adverse effect on the security of the countries where the US launchers have been deployed.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Key missile defence site declared operational http://www.europeansources.info/record/key-missile-defence-site-declared-operational/

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