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President Barack Obama on Wednesday committed the United States to basing land-based SM-3 interceptors in Poland in the 2018 timeframe as part of its NATO- wide missile defense system.
In a joint statement after meeting with visiting Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski at the White House, Obama expressed his gratitude for the commitment by the Polish government to host this system, saying Poland's commitment is "an extremely valuable contribution to the development of a NATO missile defense capability."
At a November summit in Lisbon, Portugal, NATO's 28 member states agreed to develop "the capability to defend our populations and territories against ballistic missile attack as a core element of our collective defense."
The Phased Adaptive Approach to European missile defense, unveiled by Obama in September 2009 to replace the Bush-era controversial missile defense shield program in the Czech Republic and Poland, will be deployed in four stages from next year until 2020 and would be capable of intercepting long-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Under the plan, U.S. interceptor missiles and radar will be stationed in Europe, for which NATO member states have to invest 200 million euros (280 million dollars) to link their existing anti-missile systems to the U.S. system.
Obama and Komorowski agreed to enhance bilateral defense ties in the spirit of the 2008 U.S.-Polish Declaration on Strategic Cooperation, which includes increased cooperation between air forces of the two countries with the aim of strengthening interoperability as NATO allies through regular joint training exercises and the establishment of a U.S. air detachment in Poland to support periodic rotation of U.S. military aircraft.
The joint statement said the United States will place 800 U.S. troops under Polish tactical command in Ghazni province in Afghanistan and provide logistical assistance by loaning an additional 20 mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles to the Polish military.
They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the U.S.- Polish alliance by expanding strategic and defense cooperation, supporting deeper economic links and promoting democratic institutions in Europe and around the world.
"The two leaders hailed NATO's historic decision in Lisbon to create a strategic and modern partnership with Russia," the statement said. "The United States and Poland are pursuing complementary policies of strengthening ties with Russia."
"President Komorowski expressed Poland's strong support for the prompt ratification of the new START treaty, as it would bolster Polish and European security and contribute to the Non- Proliferation Treaty's disarmament goals," the statement added.
The treaty, signed in Prague in April, is seen as a major accomplishment for the Obama administration and part of its efforts to reset relations with Russia. Obama has been pushing for its passage this year in the U.S. Senate.
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