"The command for the NATO missile shield will be based at the NATO base in Ramstein," the diplomat said on condition of anonymity as alliance defence ministers began two days of talks in Brussels.
The centre will be operational following a Chicago summit in May, the source added.
NATO already announced last year that Spain would host US ships with interceptor missiles while an early warning radar system will be based in Turkey.
Land-based interceptors will be located in Romania by 2015 and in Poland by 2018, when the system is expected to be fully operational.
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NATO Missile Defense for Europe
NATO has agreed to provide ballistic missile defense or BMD for all of Europe. This NATO BMD will protect NATO (European and American) military forces in Europe. It will also – for the very first time – protect the civilian population throughout Europe from ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction launched from the Middle East.
Much of this NATO missile defense for Europe – known as the European Phased Adaptive Approach – will actually be provided by the United States armed forces. This will include seaborne AEGIS missile defense on board US Navy ships in the Mediterranean, as well as land based radars and interceptor missiles.
This e-book describes how NATO missile defense for Europe will be organized and implemented.
