"Poland will have twice as many generals in NATO's structures as a result of the alliance's command reform and recognition of Polish troops who participate in NATO's missions." [25]
In October Klich disclosed that his ministry would "spend about 60 billion zloty (12.3 billion euro) by the year 2018 to modernize Poland's armed forces," with emphasis on "14 programs: air defense systems, combat and cargo helicopters, naval modernization, espionage and unmanned aircraft, training simulators and equipment for soldiers...." [26]
By November the Polish Air Force had flown over 100 missions with the first U.S. C-130 troop transport plane, and according to a Polish military official "the entire donation of five totally refurbished aircraft, support equipment, supplies, training, and contracted logistics support, is valued at $120 million and 100 percent funded through bilateral military assistance grant money." [27]
Poland's air bases, particularly that at Powidz where the U.S. has conducted special forces training, and training sites like that at Wedrzyn where American troops have provided combat instruction, regularly host U.S. and NATO military personnel in support of operations that have nothing at all to do with the defense of the host nation.
An analysis of over two years ago placed the intensified U.S. military buildup in Poland in perspicuous and convincing perspective:
"Poland will give the United States a minimum of two things when it agrees to [a] missile base on Polish soil. It gives the US a base from which
it can challenge Russia and a leveraged increase in troops on the ground in Europe.
"The unspoken issue is that the United States will have a base in Poland that will fix the Polish border and that Poland will have the United States behind it to protect that border. [I]t puts US troops, albeit small numbers, in the Russian 'near abroad'. It tells Russia, you tread on Poland, you tread on the US.
"It is a clever and cheap way for the US to build an anti-Russian army in Eastern Europe. Just provide the equipment and let someone else maintain it and provide the manpower. Let Poland worry about paying and training the troops.
"The end result is that the United States can extend its influence through a low cost Army in Poland." [28]
By setting up a Patriot missile battery 35 miles from Russian territory and basing troops there, Washington is well on its way to achieving that objective.
1) The Telegraph, May 24, 2010
2) Polish Radio, May 26, 2010
3) Associated Press, May 24, 2010
4) Voice of Russia, May 28, 2010
5) Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security between NATO and
the Russian Federation
http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/russian/const/founding.html
6) Russian Information Agency Novosti, February 24, 2010
7) Bulgaria Online, December 1, 2005
8) International Herald Tribune, January 24, 2006
9) RTT News, April 30, 2010
10) Ibid
11) Ibid
12) Bucharest Daily News, March 13, 2006
13) Flight International, May 29, 2009
14) Baltic Course, May 26, 2010
15) Global Security.org
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/baltops.htm
16) Defence Professionals (Germany), May 25, 2010
17) North Atlantic Treaty Organization, April 14, 2010
18) Baltic Course, September 15, 2009
19) Air Force Link, November 14, 2006
20) Air Force News, March 14, 2007
21) U.S. Air Forces in Europe, June 24, 2009
22) United States European Command, February 4, 2009
23) Polish Market, April 14, 2009
24) Ibid
25) Polish Radio, June 12, 2009
26) Polish Radio, June 12, 2009
27) Polish Radio, October 27, 2009
28) U.S. Air Forces in Europe, November 12, 2009
29) Eastern European Review (US), March 26, 2008
http://www.masterpage.com.pl/outlook/200803/forward-base.html
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