US Patriot missiles in Poland will be combat-ready
Published: 16 October, 2009, 17:48
Edited: 19 October, 2009, 06:56
TAGS: Arms, Politics, Europe, USA
Patriot surface-to-air missiles, which Poland will host under an agreement with the United States, will be combat-ready, not dummy varieties as Washington earlier suggested.
The news comes on Friday from Polish Deputy Defense Minister Stanislaw Komorowski after negotiations with his American counterpart Alexander Vershbow in Warsaw. He added that the American battery will be capable of being integrated into Poland’s air defense system, Polish media reported.
The United States agreed to deploy Patriot missiles in Poland in August 2008 amid the leap forward in the negotiations on the antiballistic missile defense in Eastern Europe. Warsaw argued that it needed better protection from a possible aerial strike if it were to host American missile interceptors.
After the Obama administration revised the Bush-era plan, the agreement on Patriot missiles remained in force.
Earlier reports said the Pentagon would deploy all the infrastructure needed for the battery’s operation, but the missiles themselves would not have combat warheads.
Vershbow visited Poland to present the new US missile shield plan. The Pentagon wants a naval-based system patrolling European borders as an alternative to the shelved ground-based system. It will use AEGIS radars and SM-3 missiles to intercept possible ballistic missiles.
Starting from 2015, ground elements will be added to the system. Several bases in Europe will host SM-3 missiles. US officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, said Poland and the Czech Republic, both of which were part of the old plan, could be one of the hosting countries.
Earlier, Ukrainian and American officials stated that Ukrainian territory may be used in some way in the new antimissile shield. A joint system, which would include Russian facilities, is also on the agenda.
Commenting on the developments on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow wanted Washington’s plans to have greater transparency.
“The United States are developing an alternative system, which will not cause problems we had with the third positioning region [in Poland and Czech Republic – RT], but we’d like to have more clarity on later stages,” cites him ITAR TASS.
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2 comments
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Surely, this latest move on the US chess-board of CIA inspired dictatorship indicates yet again the depressing fact that US foreign policy still remains fixed on invasive spreading of it's wretched globalisation bullying. Wasn't it a Hollywood red-indian who so accurately uttered, "white man speak with forked tongue", -the particular breed then under reference being invading whites who slaughtered and bullied the American indian ethnic population into near nothing. Literally NOTHING I have seen or heard, coming out from the USA since '45 has indicated tolerence or willing to peacefully co-exist, with Russia. The same Russia that saved this planet from nazi domination! What is even more sad is the continuing lap-dog subservience displayed toward Washington by Europe! This is utterly pathetic! But so predictable. It is particularly predictable of those European nations which, having done time firing guns for Hitler, instantly donned coats of different colours post '45. Surely their leaders have sufficient intellect to comprehend what US domination of S and Central America resulted in? Surely they can see what is happening in Pakistan, and why! What happened to Afghanistan, to those Taliban who the US armed to fight Russians! The same US that championed dictators in the Philippines, in Indonesia, in SE Asia? The US who turned Pacific islanders off their homes so to test weapons? The US whose 'operatives ran Guantanamo, and Bagram (sic) air base detention centre in Afghanistan? Who sadistic morons controlled prisons in Iraq? Who military admitted that on night raids into Iraqi homes the bedrooms were entered first because "that was where the money and jewels are kept"? The same US who still insist on dominating and bossing NATO, from Missouri? Who ensured almost instantaneous entry to NATO for any nation offering air space to them during their gutless murder of Serbia? Are we so very quick to forget
I think Mr. Lavrov is making a huge mistake in overlooking this kind of development in Poland. The first issue is that instead of untested, very expensive and immobile AMD interceptors, there will be succesful, relatively cheap to its capabilities and mobile SM3 interceptors - capable of destroying both short/medium range balistic and quasibalistic missles, and with modifications they are also able to take down low-earth orbit satellites. Those systems are much more dangerous for russian power projection over region - and I dont even mention for Kaliningrad Oblast. The second issue is that there will be US bases in Poland for Patriot systems instead for the AMD shield - this is practically the same outcome for Poland, without the reprecusions of having AMD shield that didnt gave any real boost to polish armed forces defense. Both american presence, and Patriot batteries (with launchers and radars) will give significant blow to russian power projection - for almost no expense. Instead of having a solution that will not damage russian capability in any way (AMD intereceptors were far too primitive to cope with russian ICBMs), you have a solution that makes Baltic Military district in Kaliningrad like sitting ducks. I do not even mention the fact that Iskander SRBM system deployment there was pulled off, while at the same time Poland introduced two types of SRBMs both sea and land versions. Something very strange is going here, and the worst thing is I dont understand what it is...
A scandal! Discusting! while US pretends to be a friend of Poland makes her pay "Patriots", that as it is well documented by the past these junk stuff don't even have a 10% success. Were US a good friend of Poland they would have bought S-300 form Russians and then would have given them gratis to Poland.