American SM-3 ballistic missile site in Poland by 2018

Pentagon spokesman George Little confirmed the timetable of stationing the new generation of anti-missile defence systems which will be stationed in Europe, after talks between Poland's defence minister, Tomasz Siemoniak and US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta in Washington on Wednesday.

“Panetta thanked Siemoniak for Poland’s leadership on NATO Ballistic Missile Defense [BMD],” the Pentagon spokesman said.

“Poland was the first nation to establish a BMD agreement with the United States. The two nations are working closely together to establish an SM-3 ballistic missile interceptor site in Poland by 2018.”

The anti-missile base is part of a new defence system called for by President Obama after he cancelled plans by the previous George W. Bush administration to put an anti-missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Russia has opposed both systems.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton signed the anti-missile system agreement with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski in 2010, stressing that the missile defence program was aimed at deterring threats from Iran, and posed no threat to Russia.

Thomas Siemoniak added, after talks with his US counterpart, that a US aviation unit consisting of a dozen American airmen will be stationed in Poland in October or November this year, the first step of a permanent United States presence in Poland. (pg)