The development of the technical and military capabilities of the base in Redzikowo is very large – said General Mieczysław Bieniek, advisor to the head of the Ministry of National Defence. He added that it is technologically feasible to equip the system with Standard SM-6 missiles. This would allow us to combat not only ballistic missiles, but also cruise missiles, such as Russian Iskander missiles.
It will take place on Wednesday official opening of the American Aegis Ashore anti-missile base in Redzikowo. Deputy Prime Minister, head of the Ministry of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced on Monday that Poland would talk to the Secretary General NATO Marek Rutte and the American side on extending the operation of the anti-missile shield.
General Mieczysław Bieniek, former NATO deputy strategic commander for transformation, when asked about this expansion, said that today the anti-missile base in Redzikowo is part of the system aimed at protection USA and European allies against ballistic missiles using American Standard SM-3 missiles.
– There is a technological possibility for this system to also be equipped with other types of missiles that could combat cruise missiles, which would further strengthen our security – said the general, adding that these were Standard SM-6 missiles.
The adviser to the head of the Ministry of National Defense explained that they can combat cruise missiles, e.g. the Iskander type, made in Russia. – The development of the technical and military capabilities of this base is very large – he said.
Redzikowo Ashleigh Whitney, Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center/DVIDS
“The base will also be guarded against air attack.”
Gen. Bieniek noted that the base in Redzikowo consolidates the presence of the United States in Poland and on the European continent, protects NATO airspace, and through the implementation of the AEGIS radar in NATO systems – allows real-time tracking of air objects at a distance of several hundred kilometers.
Anti-missile shield in EuropePAP
– This base will also be protected against air attack, which means it will be equipped with additional Patriot missile batteries. This strengthens our air defense system as a country, but also as NATO's airspace, he said.
According to available information, the base in Redzikowo includes, among others: Aegis Ashore system – a land-based equivalent of the Aegis anti-missile system mounted on ships, used to defend against ballistic missiles. The base in Redzików equipped with this system, next to the twin base in Deveselu in Romania, is to be used to defend Europe against medium-range (1,000-3,000 km) and intermediate-range (3,000-5,500 km) missiles.
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Commissioning of the base in Redzikowo
The commissioning of the base is one of the last steps in the long-running American European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) program, which is the American contribution to NATO's integrated air and missile defense system.
The EPAA system includes apart from the bases in Redzikowo and Deveselalso includes, among others: similar Aegis anti-missile systems deployed on US Navy ships operating in the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, the system operates deployed in Kurecik w Turkey radar and command base located in Ramstein village Germany.
The Aegis Ashore system consists of the AN/SPY-1 radar, the Mk 41 VLS launcher (similar ones are installed on US Navy cruisers and destroyers) and SM-3 (Standard Missile-3) anti-ballistic missiles. SM-3 rockets are designed to shoot down ballistic missiles in the middle phase of their flight, i.e. above the Earth's atmosphere. SM-3 are equipped with a kinetic warhead whose task is to destroy the warhead of a ballistic missile by colliding with it.
The commissioning of the base will be the finale of the project announced in 2009 by President Barack Obama.
Main photo source: Ashleigh Whitney, Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center/DVIDS