WASHINGTON, October 17 (RIA Novosti) - The United States will increase military partnership with Romanian forces, and hold big exercises in January, Maj. Gen. Walter Piatt, deputy commanding general of US Army Europe told RIA Novosti.
"We are going to increase our exercises in Romania very soon," Piatt said on Thursday. "We have some big exercises scheduled with Romanian forces in Romania, and we are also going to do it with other allies as well," he noted, adding that the exercises are scheduled for January.
"We'll train again all the way through the next spring," Piatt said.
Piatt noted that the United States has been training with Romanian military for quite some time. "I think they are very strong, and very capable. We are going to continue to train with them, and partner with Romanian forces," he concluded.
A new US military base in Romania was opened last week , and is due to be up and running next year as a part of NATO's overall ballistic missile defense system. The establishment and assumption of command ceremony took place in Deveselu on October 10 and was hosted by Rear Adm. John Scorby, commander of US Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia. The land-based ballistic missile defense system in Romania will be almost identical to that used on Navy Aegis-capable guided-missile destroyers and cruisers, according to the statement. It is designed to detect, track, engage and destroy ballistic missiles in flight.
