A new U.S. air defence base designed to detect and take down ballistic missiles as part of a broader North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) missile shield is operational in Northern Poland. Speaking on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Washington, the alliance’s chief Jens Stoltenberg said the readiness of the base was an important step for transatlantic security in the face of a growing threat posed by ballistic missiles.
“As a defensive alliance we cannot ignore that threat. Missile defense is an essential element for NATO’s core task of collective defense,” he added, noting ballistic missiles had been widely used in conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The system, dubbed Aegis Ashore, is based at the northern Polish town of Redzikowo and capable of intercepting short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles, according to NATO.
The allied missile defense shield is meant to protect European citizens, territory and forces against ballistic missile attacks.Other key elements of the shield include a second Aegis Ashore site in Romania, along with U.S. navy destroyers based in the Spanish port of Rota and an early-warning radar situated in the Turkish town of Kurecik.
NATO says Aegis Ashore is purely defensive. About 200 military personnel are stationed at the two interceptor sites in Poland and Romania, with the base in the Romanian town of Deveselu operational since 2016.
Meanwhile neighbouring Ukrain is struggling with a shortage of Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) for its air defence systems as Russia’s aerial onslaught on Ukrainian energy infrastructure continues unabated. Ukraine is seeking Patriot missile systems that have helped Ukraine defend itself from Russia’s assaults.
The U.S. Congress passed USD 60 billion supplemental funding for Ukraine earlier this year. Ukraine is in urgent need as its ammunition reserves, especially those of artillery and air-defence, have been dwindling. Ukraine would receive ammunition for Patriot air defence system, National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), Stinger anti-aircraft missiles from the United States. he U.S. will reprioritize planned deliveries of foreign military sales of Patriot and other missiles to go to Ukraine, which is in “desperate need” of more air defense capabilities amid its ongoing war with Russia. The Ukrainian forces will also get Additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems(HIMARS) and ammunition, 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition, Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) and Javelin ATGMs besides AT-4 anti-armour rockets.
(With inputs from Reuters)
