Poland begins construction of NATO anti-ballistic-missile defense site

Poland on Friday officially began construction of anti-ballistic-missile defense site in Redzikowo, near the Baltic coast.

The site will be able to host 300 U.S. troops and is to be completed in 2018.

"The anti-ballistic-missile system will also increase Poland's security because it will be a constant element of the NATO infrastructure in our country," Polish President Andrzej Duda said at the launch ceremony.

Duda also underlined that Poland "has been waiting long time for a constant, stable presence of the NATO alliance in this country."

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work said the anti-ballistic-missile defense system is not aimed against Russia, but only at protecting ally countries from any threats from outside of Europe.

The groundbreaking ceremony at Redzikowo marked the start of construction of the Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System site.

The site in Poland is the third phase of an initiative to provide an umbrella of missile defense for European, U.S. troops and their NATO allies and is aimed at anti-ballistic protection.

The integrated anti-ballistic protection system, named European Phased Adaptive Approach, is U.S. contribution into NATO's antimissile protection.

The defense system allows on-shore sites and warships to shoot down enemy ballistic missiles while they are still in space. Interceptor missiles are fired to hit missiles before they re-enter the atmosphere.

Apart from Poland and Romania Aegis Ashore bases, the system includes also an early detection radar AN/TPY-2 placed in Turkey and four U.S. Navy destroyers on Spanish waters.

Source: XINHUA