US opens missile defense base in Poland to shoot down ballistic missiles outside atmosphere

The American missile defense base was opened in the Polish village of Redzikowo, which will protect the USA and its European allies from short (1,000-3,000 km) and medium (3,000-5,500 km) range missiles.

This was reported by the publication RMF24 and the Office of the President of Poland.

The base in Redzikowo is part of the anti-missile shield, the task of which is to protect the United States and its European allies from missiles. The basis of missile defense is the Aegis system (an American integrated detection, guidance and fire control system). The Aegis Ashore system consists of an AN/SPY-1 radar, a Mk 41 VLS launcher (similar to those installed on US Navy cruisers and destroyers) and SM-3 (Standard Missile-3) anti-missiles.

SM-3 missiles are designed to shoot down ballistic missiles at the middle stage of their flight, i.e. above the Earth's atmosphere. SM-3 is equipped with a kinetic warhead, the task of which is to destroy the main part of the ballistic missile.

Photo: vitrina

"Here we are dealing with an intelligent, well-thought-out and sophisticated defensive shield that allows us to effectively counter attacks and offensive actions that occur not only in one specific and isolated place; therefore, protection against them is not protection in one place, but in many coordinated objects," emphasized Admiral Stuart Munsch, commander of the US Navy in Europe and Africa.

The commissioning of the base is one of the final steps in the long-term US program of the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA). The EPAA system, in addition to the Redzikowo and Deveselu bases, also includes, among other things: similar Aegis anti-missile systems deployed on US Navy ships operating in the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, a radar in Kürecik, Turkey, and a command base in Ramstein, Germany.

Ta baza amerykańska będzie zbudowana na naszej ziemi, w Polsce, w jej centrum i od tego momentu, kiedy ta baza tutaj stanie, cały świat będzie widział jasno i wyraźnie, że to nie jest już rosyjska strefa wpływów. I z naszego, polskiego punktu widzenia to strategicznie jest… pic.twitter.com/mfQ4tQgbPE

— Kancelaria Prezydenta (@prezydentpl) November 13, 2024

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on October 31, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine asked Poland to shoot down russian missiles in order to secure gas storage facilities in the Lviv Region.

It will be recalled that at the beginning of September, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Radosław Sikorski said that the Polish army is obliged to intercept russian missiles in the sky over Ukraine.

Later, the Polish Foreign Ministry stated that Sikorski's words were his personal opinion and did not reflect the official position of Warsaw.

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