US to deploy Patriot missiles in Poland: Sikorski

September 18, 2009 11:21:17 AM

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Poland's foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Thursday Washington would deploy ground-to-air Patriot-type missiles in Poland despite its rethink of anti-missile shield plans.

"The American side has confirmed that it will implement the articles of the political declaration which, I will recall, speak of the presence of Patriot missiles in Poland," Sikorski told reporters in Warsaw Thursday.

Sikorski added that the US said "the Patriot missiles will be armed" and have communications and command systems that "will allow the system to be integrated into the Polish anti-air and anti-missile defence system."
"This is something we have wanted for a long time," he said.

Sikorski also described as "interesting" Washington's new defence project announced Thursday replacing the anti-missile shield plan drawn up by the previous Republican administration.

"In presenting the proposal for the new dispersed system of anti-missile defence, the United States have assured us that Poland will also be a country which will receive an offer to host elements of this system on its territory," Sikorski.

"And it will most likely be the same base in Redzikowo, near Slupsk," Sikorski added, referring to the site where plans called for the previous anti-missile shield to be installed.

"We think this is an interesting offer," Sikorski said. Poland would consider it closely after receiving a written proposal.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday that Washington also aims to deploy SM-3 missiles in Poland and the Czech Republic in 2015 within the framework of a new missile defence program, even though Iran's long-range missile program is further off than thought.