Poland welcomes first permanent US aviation detachment
PR dla Zagranicy
Veronika Joy
13.11.2012 12:15
The mission is meant to strengthen cooperation between the key NATO allies through regular joint training exercises and rotational deployment of U.S. military aircraft beginning in 2013.
The first permanent US air force detachment on Polish soil will be at in Łask air base near Łódź, central Poland. The 10 resident U.S. staff will service four annual aircraft rotations, mainly of F-16 fighter jets and C-130 Hercules transport planes.
"The missile shield project was launched earlier this year. Its first phase was initiated in May, the next phase comes in 2015 in Romania followed by launching the base in 2018 in Poland's Redzikowo. Which means that from 2015 onwards Poland will already be included in the missile defense against medium-range missiles because the operations of the interceptors installed in Romania will also cover this country's territory," said Poland's defence minister Tomasz Siemoniak.
The ceremony in Łask was also an occasion to confirm American military plans connected with Poland. They include forming a missile shield base in Redzikowo in 2018.
The US plans to station air force personnel at Łask airbase were announced by President Barack Obama during his last visit to Warsaw.
Danuta Isler reports.