US to set up permanent base in Poland

F-16 Fighting Falcons from Aviano Air Base, Italy

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/179073.html

US President Barack Obama will reportedly announce the establishment of a US air detachment in Poland during his upcoming visit to the European state.

Poland's leading Gazeta Wyborcza daily cited an unnamed Polish diplomatic source on Monday as saying that Washington would announce the transfer of an F-16 base from Aviano in Italy to the Lask air field in central Poland during his May 27-28 visit.

Poland's Defense Minister Bogdan Klich also said on Monday that both sides would be ready for the agreement.

"At the moment we are holding talks with the Americans on the topic of a detailed agreements that will govern on what basis the Air Detachment - the detachment that will permanently service the F-16 and Hercules crews and land personnel periodically visiting Poland - will be stationed on our territory," he was quoted by the Polish PAP news agency as saying.

Last year, Klich said he hoped the F-16 rotations would begin in 2013.

In 2010, the White House confirmed the "establishment of a US air detachment in Poland to support the periodic rotation of US military aircraft."

Meanwhile, Russia warned Poland against hosting US fighter jets, saying it would counter the move