A U.S. delegation begins work in Poland today and will be shown potential sites for a permanent U.S. military base. Polish Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Bejda said this in an interview with RMF24.
“Starting today, an American delegation will visit us for two days. We have several important locations that we want to show the Americans. Whether there will be several bases or just one will be decided by NATO forces and structures,” he said.
It is not yet known exactly where the bases could be located. Several sites are being proposed to the Americans. Their selection will be coordinated with NATO’s operational structures.
The Polish side will cover all costs of constructing and maintaining the bases, which will amount to more than 10 billion zlotys.
The establishment of a permanent U.S. base is a prospect for the next several years. Bejda said 2030 was a realistic target. It will be necessary to build not only military infrastructure but also civilian infrastructure for U.S. service members.
The permanent bases could accommodate up to 5,000 U.S. troops, while the rest of the contingent would be deployed on a rotational basis. Poland currently has no large U.S. military bases; the U.S. military presence is maintained on a rotational basis.