国际英语新闻：U.S. deploys Patriot missiles in Poland

WARSAW, May 24 (Xinhua) -- A battery of U.S. Patriot missiles on Monday arrived in Morag, north-western Poland together with more than 100 soldiers that will to be stationed there, press officer of the American battery Janusz Szczypior told the PAP news agency.

The U.S. embassy reported that equipment arrived in 37 carriages. American soldiers of the 5th U.S. battalion, part of the 7th air defense infantry regiment will train Polish soldiers to operate the advanced guided missiles system in a base located just 60 kilometers from the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.

Poland has repeatedly insisted that the base close to Russian Kaliningrad was not chosen for political or strategic reasons, but simply because it already had good infrastructure.

The arrival of first Patriot battery follows the ratification by Poland, at the start of the year, of an agreement on the status of United States Armed Forces in Poland (the so called SOFA -- Supplemental Status of Forces Agreement).

In line with the rotation plan, American soldiers will be exchanged on the quarterly basis. Training of Polish soldiers will last 30 days and will be attended by some 100-150 American soldiers.

A base of Patriot battery is to be deployed first temporarily in Poland and later permanently. In future Poland will also host a base of SM-3 missiles, part of the ballistic defense system.

The strengthening of short- and medium-range air defense was a condition set by Poland during negotiations on Poland's participation in the U.S. anti-missile defense program.

In September 2009, the Obama administration proposed a new missile defense plan replacing an earlier strategy foreseeing the installation of a U.S. missile interception system in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Moscow has expressed anger at having U.S. missiles so close to its territory. A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said last month that Russia is concerned about the U.S. "anti-missile activity" in the Polish territory and the planned deployment of the Patriot anti-aircraft missiles there.

"The U.S. anti-missile activity in Poland is unjustified and causes our concern," according to the spokesman.