US-built missile base in Poland to be 'operational' from 15 December, says PM Mateusz Morawiecki

The Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Monday informed lawmakers that the US missile facility located in northern Poland will be “operational” from 15 December. “The Americans have just informed us that on December 15, in a few days time, the operational capability will be reached by the missile defence shield in Redzikowo,” AFP quoted  Morawiecki as saying. The facility is stationed 250 kilometres (155 miles) from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Over 10,000 US troops are currently stationed in Poland, a NATO member on the alliance’s eastern flank and one of the staunchest supporters of neighbouring Ukraine. According to US and NATO officials, the system in Redzikowo was built to counter the threat of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, particularly from the Middle East. But the project of a US-built base in Poland was slammed by Russia as a serious security threat. The Redzikowo base, plans for which were first announced in 2009, was intended to include 24 land-based SM-3 missiles as well as anti-aircraft systems. A similar US facility - officially called Aegis Ashore - is already up and running in Romania. With inputs from agencies