Siliștea Gumești Air Base

The primary reason for the closure was the large-scale restructuring and modernization of the Romanian Armed Forces following the end of the Cold War, and in preparation for Romania's accession to NATO in 2004. This involved consolidating forces, retiring aging Soviet-era and domestically-produced hardware, and focusing resources on fewer, more capable air bases. The Siliștea Gumești base operated the IAR-93 'Vultur' aircraft, which was being phased out of service due to its age, high maintenance costs, and obsolescence. The closure was therefore a strategic and economic decision to streamline the Romanian Air Force.

The site is currently abandoned and in a state of advanced decay. The single concrete runway, taxiways, and numerous hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) are still clearly visible but are heavily weathered, cracked, and overgrown with vegetation, rendering them unusable. Most of the administrative buildings, barracks, and hangars are derelict and have been stripped of valuable materials. A large portion of the former base's land, particularly on its eastern side, has been repurposed and is now occupied by a large-scale photovoltaic power plant (solar farm). The rest of the site is unused or is informally used for grazing and local agriculture.

Siliștea Gumești Air Base was a key military installation for the Romanian Air Force (Forțele Aeriene Române) during the Cold War. It was home to the 91st Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment (Regimentul 91 Aviație Vânătoare-Bombardament). Initially, the base operated Soviet-made aircraft, including the MiG-15 and later the supersonic MiG-19. Its most significant role came as one of the main operating bases for the IAR-93 Vultur, a subsonic, close air support, ground attack, and tactical reconnaissance aircraft developed jointly by Romania (IAR) and Yugoslavia (SOKO). The base and its squadrons were an integral part of Romania's national defense strategy, tasked with providing air support to ground forces.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening Siliștea Gumești as an airport for either military or civilian use. The cost of restoring the heavily degraded infrastructure (runway, taxiways, buildings) would be prohibitive. Furthermore, there is no strategic military need or commercial demand for an airport in this rural location. The Romanian Air Force has consolidated its operations at other modernised bases, and the site's partial conversion into a solar park makes a full reactivation for aviation purposes highly improbable.