The new American missile base inaugurated in Poland is located in Redzikowo, on the Baltic coast, about 230 kilometers from the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. Warsaw, while trying to reassure its citizens of NATO’s solid commitment to their security regardless of who is in the White House, confirmed the project had been in the pipeline since 2000.

The conflict in Ukraine has accelerated the process and now the military field is fully operational.  The Redzikowo base is part of a larger NATO missile shield, called Aegis Ashore, to intercept short- and medium-range ballistic missiles.

Other key elements of the shield include a second site in Romania, a U.S. Navy destroyer based in the Spanish port of Rota, and an early warning radar in the city of Kurecik, Turkey.

The system implemented by the US in Poland can only be used against missiles launched from the Middle East and the radar would need a change of direction to intercept rockets coming from Russia, a rather complex procedure. More than 10,000 U.S. troops are currently stationed in Poland, one of the staunchest supporters of neighboring Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stressed that the base “significantly improves our ability to defend ourselves against the growing threat of ballistic missiles from outside the Euro-Atlantic area. The alliance will work towards the full development of ballistic missile defense“.