RoAF 86th Air Base

The Romanian Air Force 86th Air Base "Lieutenant Aviator Gheorghe Mociorniță" (Romanian: Baza 86 Aeriană "Locotenent aviator Gheorghe Mociorniță"), also known as Fetești or Borcea Air Base, is located in commune Borcea, Călărași County near the town of Fetești. It is currently the home of the 53rd Fighter Squadron (operating F-16 Fighting Falcons).

The current commander of the base is General de flotilă aeriană Iulian Pațilea.

On the current grounds of the airbase, a military aerodrome was established in 1939 following an order of the General Staff. Known as the Cocargeaua aerodrome, it was to be used as a reserve landing and deployment base of the Royal Romanian Air Force during World War II. In 1940, wooden barracks, and fuel storage facilities were built on the airfield. Over the years, the name of the base varied between Cocargeaua, Bărăganu, Borcea, and Fetești. In February 1944, the 51st Fighter Squadron of the 5th Fighter Group was moved to the Cocargeaua aerodrome and began flying interception missions against USAAF bombers with Bf 109E and IAR 80 fighters starting in April. After 23 August 1944, the 52nd Fighter Squadron also joined the 51st at Cocargeaua where the 5th Group remained until the end of the war.

During the Soviet occupation of Romania, the aerodrome was used as a base by the Soviet Air Forces until 1958. On 9 August 1958, the 206th Tactical Fighter Aviation Regiment, equipped with MiG-17PF fighters, together with the 499th Technical Base were moved to Cocargeaua and received a squadron of MiG-19 aircraft. The unit was first formed in the spring of 1952 on the Deveselu airfield, then moved several times to Ianca, then to Otopeni. From 1959, the 206th Tactical Fighter Aviation Regiment was subordinated to the 15th Tactical Fighter Aviation Division and received a new name - the 86th Fighter Aviation Regiment.

In 1967, an important change took place in the 86th Fighter Aviation Regiment, with the introduction of the new MiG-21F-13 fighter jet. Thus, the 86th Fighter Aviation Regiment was fully equipped with supersonic aircraft: two squadrons with MiG-21F-13 and one squadron with MiG-19.

In 1995, the 86th Fighter Aviation Regiment turned into the 86th Fighter Aviation Group and the 86th Fighter and Fighter Bomber Air Base. At the same time, the 86th Fighter Aviation Group was given the honorary name "Lieutenant Aviator Gheorghe Mociorniță [ro]".

Starting in 1997, a squadron at the 86th Air base began intensive training, in order to become capable of carrying out joint missions with NATO forces. A special training program was initiated, aiming at a higher level of interoperability, and for this purpose the Fighter-Bomber Squadron was fully equipped with MiG-21 LanceRs. By the end of 2000, as a result of the Romanian Air Force reform, the structure of the 86th Air Base 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.

Between 2013 and 2015, the base was modernized to NATO standards. Facilities were also built to accommodate the F-16 fighters. Since 2016, it is the home base of the 53rd Fighter Squadron, the first Romanian Air Force squadron equipped with F-16s.