“Focsani Gate”, the weak point of NATO’s defense on the east flank. How long would we hold out in the event of a Russian attack?

In the event that Russia attacked Romania, the shortest route to Bucharest and the Balkans would be through a strategic area called “Focsani Gate”. Romania would lose the fight one day without the support of NATO. And that is because the allied troops and combat equipment cannot reach the hot zone fast enough due to the lack of infrastructure in our country.

This is one of the conclusions of a debate on military mobility organized by the US think tank CEPA, in which various conflict scenarios were taken into account. One of them targeted Romania and one of its strategic military points: “Poarta Focşanilor”. The other four were the Nordic-Baltic route (Norway-Sweden-Estonia), the Suwalki corridor (Poland), the Western Balkans and Libya.

The former commander of the US Army in Europe, General Frederick Benjamin “Ben” Hodges, made, among other things, a brief characterization of the military situation in the event of a Russian attack on the “Focsani Gate”. “The scenario focused on the very difficult terrain, the obstacles posed by the Carpathians and then the Danube River, which is an obstacle, but also something that helps us,” explained the retreating general.

Northern funnel

“Poarta Focşanilor” is an area of ​​land that extends to four counties: Vrancea, Galaţi, Brăila and Buzău. Military analysts consider it of strategic importance because troops coming from the east can easily attack Bucharest from the north, according to a study by the Center for New Strategy in Romania and the Center for the Study of the New Generation War, an alt American think-tank. “It is one of the most critical operational military fields in Romania. It serves as a funnel from the north, but, under the right circumstances, it can become an operational trap that leaves little room for escape,” the document states.

To protect the “Gate of Focsani”, NATO troops should arrive quickly, because the Romanian armed forces would be defeated from the first day of a possible confrontation with Russia, according to a war simulation carried out in 2019 at the Academy of Land Forces . in Sibiu. It’s just that the main problem in the path of NATO’s military mobility is the lack of infrastructure in Romania, American specialists also show.

Investment challenge

However, military experts claim that one of the great advantages of the Focsani Gate is that tanks can be operated very well here, but cannot be accessed at the moment. “The problem is that you have to cross many rivers to get to and then leave that battlefield. Therefore, addressing the difficulties of rail and road transport to reach this battlefield is a long-term investment challenge. Because very little has been done about it, “said Phillip Petersen, president of the Center for the Study of the New Generation War, quoted by romania.europalibera.org.

General Ben Hodges explained some time ago that troop mobility is one of the secrets to the success of NATO defense. “At the end of the exercise Saber Guardian (military exercises that took place in 2017 – no.) I had the equipment blocked in Romania in two months, in an attempt to bring it back to Germany. (…) Due to the state of the infrastructure. I had problems putting a tank on a HET (Heavy Equipment Transport) and we crossed the Carpathians, from Poland to the Mihail Kogălniceanu base, ”stressed the former commander of the US Army in Europe.

American countermeasures

Former director of the Romanian Intelligence Service, Costin Georgescu, claims that the US military has long been aware of Romania’s vulnerability and has taken a number of compensatory measures. “There were several maneuvers in which this transfer of heavy troops and combat equipment, armored vehicles or Abrams tanks was practiced, and it was seen that they arrive in Romania very difficult. To compensate for this, they decided to have a more pronounced military presence in our country. The base in Kogălniceanu grows stronger with each passing day, finally reaching 10,000 soldiers. The Americans have several missile units in Romania, but also tanks or armor. In Câmpia Turzii, they built a strong air base that aims to defend the eastern flank from Russian attacks, “said the expert from” Adevărul “.

Moscow has done its homework

However, Costin Georgescu says that strengthening the infrastructure is a priority for Romania from a strategic point of view because in this field the Russians are much better prepared. “They have two technical roads, specially designed for heavy military transport, that reach the Romanian border.

“The Russians have two technical roads, specially designed for tanks, that reach the Romanian border.”

Costin Georgescu
former director of SRI

They are made of concrete slabs approximately one meter thick to resist the passage of tanks and can be used at any time because they were not abandoned after the fall of the USSR. Furthermore, in Transnistria they have huge warehouses of ammunition and weapons that can be accessed when needed, ”said the former SRI director.

America can only rely on Romania to counter Russia in the Black Sea

RAND Corporation, an organization that conducted a study commissioned by the US authorities, claims that, at present, the United States can only rely on Romania to counter Russia in the Black Sea.

The study entitled “Russia, NATO and the Security of the Black Sea” examines how three NATO allies in the Black Sea – Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey – perceive and can react to hostile Russian activities. The study also shows that Romania is making a special effort to equip the Naval Forces with modern equipment. “Although Romania’s naval assets are modest in terms of quantity and capacity, plans to upgrade existing platforms, purchase new frigates, and the potential to purchase three new submarines could increase Romania’s contributions to a western maritime presence in the Black Sea. “. shown in the document.