Mihai Drăgan, the president of the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has disclosed that the United States is contemplating the relocation of its military facility from Ramstein, Germany, to Romania’s Mihail Kogălniceanu Airbase.
“It is very possible that the base at Ramstein will be moved to Kogălniceanu. This scenario is even being discussed at the Pentagon. It’s an issue on the agenda,” stated the president of the CCIR, who also mentioned that he has information from the US military.
In light of the geopolitical context and the economic dispute between the U.S. and Germany, Mihai Daraban explained that Romania must maintain its strategic partnerships. “We need this strategic shield of the United States because we are in an area where only America can truly intervene,” he said.
Daraban also advocated the concept of a European Union capable of functioning effectively in the wake of significant global economic blocs and proposed a comprehensive reform.
Ramstein Base—Strategic Importance to NATO and the United States
The American Air Force base is located in western Germany, near the municipality of Ramstein-Miesenbach. It is a world that is entirely separate from the rest of the Federal Republic. Ramstein, a real small town in the rural landscape of Rhineland-Palatinate, is strictly isolated from the surrounding hilly terrain, but it is an extensive military zone with runways, hangars, and numerous structures. The air facility on German soil enjoys immunity comparable to that of an embassy. The American commander must grant permission for German officials and politicians to gain entry.
Ramstein employs approximately 9,000 individuals. It is the biggest American air base in Europe. The Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, the largest American military facility outside the United States, is also located in close proximity.
About 50,000 Americans, including military personnel and their families, reside in the vicinity of Kaiserslautern. These Americans operate their own institutions and service providers and frequently accept dollars as payment. These American facilities have a significant impact on the regional economy.
It all started in 1952 on an airfield that was previously used by Hitler’s Luftwaffe during World War II. The American army seized the airfield shortly before the conflict ended in 1945. The airfield and its administrative wing progressively expanded into a more extensive complex that served as a base for U.S. troops stationed in the Federal Republic and, subsequently, NATO.
The Allied military air transport command, as well as military aircraft, was established here in 1971. All of the headquarters of the United States Air Forces in Europe relocated from Wiesbaden to Ramstein in 1973. Additionally, it was granted NATO Air Forces command authority one year later.
From here, the Alliance monitors missile defense for the entire military organization and the space activities of member states. Ramstein is also occasionally used by NASA, the American space agency, for research flights.
It is widely believed that nuclear weapons were stored here until 2005, even though they were never confirmed. According to experts, the warheads were removed that year, rendering the Büchel base in the Eifel Mountains the sole location in Germany that currently houses the American nuclear arsenal.
Barack Obama visited the Ramstein base on numerous occasions during his presidency. In 2018, Donald Trump also visited it on his return flight from a visit to American soldiers stationed in Iraq.
In the summer of 2020, Trump announced a substantial reduction in the number of American troops stationed in Germany. The rationale: Germany was underfunding its defense. Such a plan would undoubtedly have affected the Ramstein base.
The plans were harshly criticized by the former commander-in-chief of U.S. forces in Europe, General Ben Hodges, at the time. The officer described it as a “colossal mistake” in Der Spiegel magazine, which “illustrates the president’s lack of understanding of how essential the American troops stationed in Germany are for America’s security.”
The topic was dropped a few months later when the presidency was transferred to Democrat Joe Biden following his victory in the presidential election.
American forces are also present at the Deveselu base, where the missile defense system called Aegis Ashore is installed — officially intended to counter the threat from Iran.
What could happen if the US vacates Ramstein?
The US’s withdrawal from Ramstein would have a significant effect on NATO operations and military logistics in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Germany would experience economic and social repercussions in the local region, while the United States would forfeit a strategic center for power projection. Germany would likely attempt to preserve the operational status of the base, potentially engaging in negotiations with NATO or other allies to address the strategic gap, in light of the base’s significance to NATO and transatlantic security.
Currently, the German government has not made any clear announcements or publicly available official plans regarding how it would respond to or manage Ramstein Air Base in the event of a US withdrawal. The situation is still uncertain and would likely necessitate intricate diplomatic and security negotiations to resolve the strategic vacuum that would be left by a US departure. In the interim, the future of Ramstein is not directly addressed by the fact that other NATO members, such as the UK, have taken on increasingly prominent responsibilities in defense coordination.