American base in Poland stirs Russian strategic concerns
The American base in Redzikowo was established as part of the global missile defence system. On one of the Russian military-themed websites, an attempt was made to explain the significance of Redzikowo to the Russian reader. According to the author, the base could potentially be used in the future not only for defence but also for attacks on ground targets.
The base in Redzikowo is described as an American cruiser buried in the ground, by one of the Russian-language, pro-Kremlin websites, warning its readers. Among technical descriptions of armaments and equipment in the American base, the implication was made that the missile defence installation, built close to the Kaliningrad region, may pose a threat to Russia itself in the future.
These warnings seem somewhat delayed, as the official commencement of service by the base in Redzikowo occurred in mid-November 2024. While discussing the operation of weapons used to destroy ballistic missiles, the author expresses the opinion that the base can be easily expanded and adapted to handle a wider range of weaponry, including offensive ones.
It is worth clarifying a key question in this context: why was there a decision to build an American base on Polish territory in the first place?
What does the Redzikowo base defend against?
The decision to establish the base stems from a long chain of events, tracing back to the 1980s, when the United States decided to abandon the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). It was a Cold War programme which envisioned the construction of an orbital missile defence system, eventually abandoned with the fall of the Soviet Union.
In place of SDI, several other anti-ballistic solutions, differing in purpose or type of threats countered, were developed over the next two decades.
At that time, Washington considered so-called "rogue states," such as Iran and North Korea, as the main source of threats to be countered. The American ballistic missile defence shield in Europe was optimised to counter missiles launched from these territories, with its final form shaped by the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) programme. Installations – besides the base built by the United States in Alaska – were established in Turkey, Romania, and Poland.
The European part of the "shield" does not have the capacity to intercept ballistic missiles launched by Russia at targets in the USA. Reaction time, missile and anti-missile speed, and their trajectory prevent this; a missile launched from Polish territory would have to intercept a Russian missile, travelling both horizontally and vertically.
AEGIS Ashore: A sea system on land
The words of the Russian commentator about a buried missile cruiser are somewhat close to the truth, albeit with journalistic exaggeration. The defence of the European area from ballistic missiles is partially realised by American ships with the Aegis system stationed in European ports, such as the Rota base.
This system was developed in the 1980s with the idea of defending naval groups against aircraft and cruise missiles. Its capabilities, in the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) variant, have been extended over time to include countering ballistic missiles.
For the bases in Poland and Romania, the Americans did not reinvent the wheel. With a proven anti-ballistic system, they transferred its key elements to land as the Aegis Ashore system.
As a result, part of the base resembles a ship's superstructure, allowing, among other things, the installation of wall antennas of the AN/SPY-1 radar known from American cruisers. Another radar is located in the Turkish base of Kürecik and the overall supervision is provided by NATO's Air Command located in Ramstein, Germany.
Universal missile launchers
On land, the Mk 41 VLS (Vertical Launch System) launchers were also placed. This solution debuted in the American Navy in 1982, becoming a standard in Western countries over time. A 32-cell launcher will be installed, among other things, on the decks of Polish Miecznik-class frigates.
Thanks to this setup, instead of – as in previous decades – installing different weapon systems on ships, it's sufficient to place built-in VLS cells on the deck. Their contents may include anti-aircraft missiles, anti-ballistic missiles, rocket torpedoes, or cruise missiles. As a result, one ship can carry different armaments depending on the mission without needing reconstruction. In the Polish and Romanian base, the VLS contains SM-3 anti-ballistic missiles.
According to the Russians, these launchers could be used offensively in the future – after expanding the base – serving among other things to launch Tomahawk missiles. The Russian website omits the fact that the West already possesses land-based cruise missile launchers, making such use of missile defence elements illogical.
In 2023, the Americans successfully tested the Typhon system, which is, in practice, a land-based, mobile variant of the Mk 41 VLS launcher. Thanks to it, Tomahawk cruise missiles or anti-ship RIM-174 SM-6 ERAM missiles can be launched from a land-based launcher, which can be relocated to any location as needed.
It could also be deployed near the Kaliningrad region or – as demonstrated during maneuvers where the Typhon system was moved to Bornholm – on Baltic islands. Unlike during the missile shield development, Russia cannot counteract this in any way.
