Krakow, Poland (DT) – The United States and Poland on Wednesday inaugurated a US missile defense base in northern Poland to enhance NATO’s defense capabilities in Europe amid tensions with Russia over its war in Ukraine.
The new base, named “Aegis Ashore” and located in Redzikowo, is part of NATO’s larger missile defense shield for Europe, and is designed to detect, track, and intercept ballistic missiles in flight.
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“I welcome our American friends to Poland. I am pleased that we are officially opening this base,” Polish President Andrzej Duda said during the inauguration event.
“From the moment this base is built here, the whole world will see clearly that this is no longer a Russian sphere of influence. And from our Polish perspective, this is strategically the most important thing,” he added.
Polish defense minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz called the base’s opening a “milestone” in missile defense and emphasized that Poland is now part of NATO’s “most effective” air defense network.
Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski praised the base as a “monument” to the Polish-US alliance and security.
“This is a good day for the USA, for NATO, and for the security of Poland. I am glad this base has been established, and I will pray that it never has to be used,” he said.
Meanwhile, the US ambassador to Poland, Mark Brzezinski, highlighted the base’s significance for NATO and praised Poland’s decision to allocate 4.7% of its GDP to defense, calling it “a model” for other NATO members.
“Operated by US Navy sailors, under NATO auspices, on Polish soil, this (base) makes Poland and NATO safer,” Brzezinski said on X, formerly Twitter.
The Redzikowo base, equipped with the Aegis Ashore missile defense system, is part of NATO’s broader European missile defense network, which also includes a similar site in Deveselu, Romania, an early warning radar in Turkey, and a command center in Germany.
The defense system was designed over a decade ago to counter Iran’s ballistic missile threat against NATO’s European members.
However, some analysts question its effectiveness against a potential Russian ballistic missile attack.
Geopolitical expert Marek Swierczynski told EFE that, while the base was designed to counter Iran’s missile threat, a re-evaluation of its role may be necessary given the current geopolitical landscape.
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