Deveselu

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Not to be confused with Devesel.

Deveselu
Commune
Abandoned house in Deveselu
Abandoned house in Deveselu
Location in Olt County
Location in Olt County
Deveselu is located in Romania
Deveselu
Deveselu
Location in Romania
Coordinates: 44°03′N 24°23′E / 44.050°N 24.383°E / 44.050; 24.383Coordinates: 44°03′N 24°23′E / 44.050°N 24.383°E / 44.050; 24.383
CountryRomania
CountyOlt
Government
 • Mayor (2021–2024) Nicolae Dobre[1] (PSD)
Area
49.1 km2 (19.0 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[2]
3,157
 • Density64/km2 (170/sq mi)
Time zoneEET/EEST (UTC+2/+3)
Postal code
237130
Area code0249
Vehicle reg.OT
Websitewww.primariadeveselu.judetulolt.ro

Deveselu (Romanian pronunciation: [deveˈselu]) is a commune in Olt County, Oltenia, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Comanca and Deveselu.

Geography[]

The commune is situated on the Wallachian Plain, about 14 km (8.7 mi) west of the river Olt. It is located in the south-central part of the county, 10 km (6.2 mi) from Caracal, and 52 km (32 mi) from the county seat, Slatina.

Deveselu is crossed by national road  [ro], which starts in Caracal and goes south to Corabia, a port on the Danube. The Deveselu train station serves the CFR Line 910, which runs from Piatra-Olt to Caracal and Corabia.

History[]

Deveselu is first mentioned in a document from 1537, signed by Radu Paisie.[3]

In 2020, Mayor Ion Aliman died at age 56 due to COVID-19; the Associated Press described him as "popular", and residents re-elected him with 1,057 out of 1,600 votes in his favor after he had died.[4]

On 27 June 2021, partial local elections were held to fill up the mayor's seat in Deveselu, and in 35 other localities. The winner of those elections, Nicolae Dobre from the Social Democratic Party, cousin of Ion Aliman earned 924 votes. The runner-up, Marius Aliman from the National Liberal Party, son of Ion Aliman, earned 812 votes.[1]

Air base[]

The construction of the Romanian Air Force military air base at Deveselu started in 1952, with assistance from the Soviet Union. Four squadrons with some 100 pilots flying MiG-15 and MiG-19 jets were based here. By the 1980s, the air base had become the most important one in Romania. During the 1990s, it was the only air base in the country from where night missions were conducted.[5] The Deveselu air base was closed in 2003, forcing approximately 200 personnel into early retirement; about 15 still live in the commune in the "airmen neighborhood".[6]

The Aegis Ashore Missile Defense Complex Romania.

In the early 2010s, the air base near Deveselu was selected for the NATO missile defence system employing Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System. The Missile Defense Agency approved a budget of 550 million dollars for the deployment of 44 interceptors. Construction started in October 2013, with a ceremony attended by President Traian Băsescu and Under Secretary of Defense for Policy James N. Miller.[5] The inauguration ceremony was held in December 2015. The Aegis Ashore Site became operational in May 2016;[7] the system uses the SM-3 Block IB interceptor.[8] According to major general Charles Miller, "Aegis Ashore Romania is designed to protect European NATO Allies and U.S. deployed forces in the region against the growing threat posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles outside the Euro-Atlantic area."[9]

The airbase seen in 2011.

References[]

  1. ^ a b "UPDATE - Candidatul PSD a câștigat alegerile pentru Primăria Deveselu. Fiul fostului primar, candidat din partea PNL, s-a clasat pe locul al doilea". News.ro (in Romanian). 27 June 2021. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Populaţia stabilă pe judeţe, municipii, oraşe şi localităti componenete la RPL_2011" (in Romanian). National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  3. ^ "Monografia comunei". Deveselu Town Hall. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  4. ^ Alexandru, Andreea (28 September 2020). "Romanian villagers re-elect mayor despite his COVID-19 death". Associated Press. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  5. ^ a b Mitran, Alina (1 January 2016). "Secretele proiectului militar de la Deveselu. Cum a ajuns baza aeriană construită cu ajutor sovietic un obiectiv strategic al NATO". Adevărul (in Romanian). Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  6. ^ Sultănoiu, Marian (23 April 2012). "Cum s-a infiltrat CIA pe străzile comunei românești unde americanii instalează scutul antirachetă" (in Romanian). Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  7. ^ LaGrone, Sam (12 May 2016). "Aegis Ashore Site in Romania Declared Operational". Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  8. ^ "United States Ballistic Missile Defense Site at Deveselu Air Base in Romania". ro.usembassy.gov. 3 May 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  9. ^ "Aegis Ashore Romania: Supporting European Missile Defense for 5 Years and Counting". www.eucom.mil. United States European Command. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
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