Airport type Military Location Borcea 18/36 9,186 Address Romania | Operator Romanian Air Force Elevation AMSL 180 ft / 55 m 9,186 2,800 Elevation 55 m | |
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The Romanian Air Force 86th Air Base (Baza 86 Aeriană) is located in commune Borcea, Călărași County. It is currently the home of the 53rd Fighter squadron (operating Lockheed Martin F-16s), 861st and 862nd Fighter squadrons (operating MiG-21 LanceRs), and of the 863rd Helicopter squadron - located at the Mihail Kogălniceanu Airport (operating IAR-330Ls).
Since 1997, at the 86th Air base, a squadron has begun intensive training, in order to become capable of carrying out joint missions with NATO forces. A special training program has been initiated, aiming at a higher level of interoperability, and for this purpose the Fighter-Bomber Squadron was fully equipped with MiG-21 LanceR's. By the end of 2000, as a result of the Romanian Air Force reform, the structure of the 86th Air base was changed again. The 86th Air base has now a modular structure, fitting NATO's airbase model and offering a real background for achieving appropriate interoperability at this level, with the declared purpose to provide the necessary basis to plan, organize, command and accomplish the missions assigned.