WASHINGTON, — Poland is moving closer to securing a permanent U.S. military base, with a final White House decision expected in early December. Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced the development after meeting U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon on November 10.
Kosiniak-Kamysz described the Pentagon's response as a “green light”, saying Hegseth told him that “everything is going in a good direction.” However, final approval rests with U.S. President Donald Trump. The Polish minister called a permanent American troop presence an “absolute priority” and described Poland as a strategic partner of the United States.
Four Locations Considered for U.S. Base
Poland has proposed Bydgoszcz, Poznań, Szczecin and Wrocław as potential locations. All four cities are west of the Vistula River and have existing military infrastructure. Bydgoszcz and Szczecin host NATO command facilities, while Poznań houses the U.S. Army's forward headquarters at Camp Kościuszko, established in 2023. Wrocław offers access to military training grounds at Żagań and Świętoszów, as well as the A4 motorway and airport infrastructure suitable for military transport.
The proposed installation could accommodate up to 25,000 people, including approximately 5,000 permanently assigned U.S. troops, their families and support personnel. Poland has offered to finance construction and supporting infrastructure, estimated at 15 billion to 17 billion zlotys ($3.8 billion to $4.4 billion).
Around 10,000 American troops are currently stationed in Poland, mainly on rotational deployments. Warsaw wants to maintain approximately 10,000 rotational troops alongside 5,000 permanently assigned personnel.
NATO Strategy and Defence Industry Cooperation
The proposal aligns with the Trump administration's NATO 3.0 strategy, which expects European allies to take greater responsibility for conventional defence while the United States shifts more attention to other regions.
Poland is approaching defence spending of 5% of GDP. Hegseth praised the country's military investments and its contribution to NATO's eastern flank. Both officials also signed a Statement of Intent to expand bilateral defence industrial cooperation. Warsaw is seeking to attract American defence manufacturers through production facilities and joint ventures in Europe.
Pentagon Supports Poland's Tomahawk Missile Request
Kosiniak-Kamysz also confirmed that the Pentagon had issued a positive recommendation for Poland's request to purchase Tomahawk cruise missiles and launchers. The long-range precision missiles have an approximate range of 1,600 kilometres. Final authorization rests with the U.S. Congress, which could review the request in early 2027.
The development follows Washington's October decision to select Poland for the first Patriot PAC-3 missile maintenance facility outside the United States. The project is expected to cost approximately 1 billion zlotys (€227 million). Once operational, it will allow European operators to maintain interceptor missiles locally instead of routinely sending them to the United States.
Final White House Approval Pending
Despite the Pentagon's positive response, the permanent base proposal has not received final U.S. approval. The Pentagon's official readout of the November 10 meeting highlighted defence industrial cooperation and Poland's defence spending but did not mention the proposed base.
Working-level teams from both countries are continuing discussions on potential locations and preparations for an agreement. The White House decision expected in early December will determine whether the proposal moves forward.
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