Poland and the United States' agreement to station a land-based SM-3 missile system in Redzikowo, Poland, by 2018, as part of the US Ballistic Missile Defense system, has entered into force.

The deal comprises a Ballistic Missile Defense Agreement from 2008, as well as amendments agreed in 2010, Poland's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“I am pleased that the Ballistic Missile Defense Agreement between our countries is the first to enter into force. This marks another critical step in implementing the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA),” US Ambassador to Poland Lee Feinstein said in the statement.

The US-Polish deal, together with the signing of the BMDA with Romania, and Turkey's recent decision to host missile defense radar systems, will provide protection against “the proliferation of ballistic missiles that are more lethal, more accurate, and can cover greater distances, [which] poses a growing threat to the people and security of both Europe and the United States,” Mr Feinstein said.