Poland and the US Sign Missile Defense Agreement to Provide NATO and Europe Protection Against Long Range Ballistic Missiles

    WARSAW, Poland, Aug. 20 /EMWNews/ -- Riki Ellison,

President of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance

(http://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.