WARSAW, Poland, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Riki Ellison, President
of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org)
reports that on a stunning summer day at 1130 a.m. this morning in Warsaw,
Poland, the Republic of Poland signed an agreement with the United States of
America to host 10 U.S. two-stage ground-based missile defense interceptors
that will defend and protect NATO and the United States from long range
ballistic missiles.
Poland received for compensation a strategic partnership with the United
States that includes a permanent presence of US personnel to operate the
missile defense site in Poland and a rotational permanent presence of one
United States Patriot missile defense battery stationed currently in Germany.
The Patriot battery includes five launchers, Patriot missiles and the US
military Army soldiers that man the battery for short-range ballistic missile
defense protection of NATO. The United States receives a capability to defend
its armed forces, the citizens and allies in most of Europe as well as adding
protection for its population and territory against long-range ballistic
missiles from Iran.
The United States with this agreement alongside the European Midcourse
Radar agreement signed with the Czech Republic on July 8th will provide NATO
and most of Europe and its population protection for the first time against
long-range ballistic missiles. The European Missile Defense system will
integrate and assist current and future NATO missile defense assets that would
include Aegis, Air Defense Command Frigates and Type 45 Destroyers sea based
systems, THAAD, MEADS, Patriot ground based systems, Tactical Transport Radars
and forward based radars to provide a layered shield of missile defense
protection against all ranges of ballistic missiles to Europe and NATO.
The 10 two-stage Ground Based Missiles, the silos and the construction of
the missile site is to be located on the Redzikovo Polish military base
outside of Slupska and close to the Baltic Sea in northern Poland. The United
States Army Corps of Engineers stationed in Europe will begin construction in
the next 12-18 months with the first deployed defensive missile to be on alert
in 2012, and the remaining defensive missiles to be on full alert by 2015. The
two-stage ground based missile is the same missile without the third stage as
the current ground-based defensive missiles deployed at Vandenberg Air Force
Base, California and Fort Greely, Alaska. The two-stage ground based defensive
missiles will complete their testing and verification by the US Department of
Defense before the first missile is deployed in 2012.
Public support is strong both in Poland and the United States. 63% of the
Polish public in a poll released today by the largest newspaper, Gazeta, in
Warsaw are in support of the agreement. 87% of the Polish public believes that
the agreement will strengthen Poland's relationship with the United States.
This follows a poll by opinion research in the United States that shows 72% of
the United States public support the agreement with the Polish government.
The continual intent by Iran to develop long-range ballistic missiles
coupled with their desire to have nuclear weapons as displayed by this past
Saturday's Satellite Launch Vehicle attempt to deliver payloads into orbit
provides the will and need by NATO, Poland and the United States to deploy a
defensive capability to protect and defend their national security.
Riki Ellison is in Warsaw today and is available for one-on-one interviews
about the significance of the agreement. Call Mike Terrill at 602 885-1955 to
arrange.
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