The comander of the MDA (Missile Defenc Agency), Ronald Kadish leutenet general Ronald Kadish recently pointed out that the current activities of the MDA are focused on esablishing an initial configuration of the shield intent on securing the teritory of the US against any potential attack by ICBMs. This basic configuration with 3-stage interceptor missiles (GBIs - Ground Based Interceptors) would at firt be situated at 2 bases on the West Coast to defend the US from an attack from the so called rouge states (N Korea, Iran ...). In each base ther would be 10 GBIs. General Kadish fells that part of the shield should be operational by this Sepember. By the end of this year there shold be at least 5 GBIs at the Fort Gleery base in Alaska and 3-4 GBIs at Vandenberg California. It is however clear that by the end of this year the ticonderoga class cruisers would not be avaliable for mid-rang ICBM interception. Allso the modified Boeing 747 with a powerful laser installed won't be operational this year. General Kadish also pointed out that a 3rd base would be stationed in Europe thus enabling ICBM defense for their european allies, but not before 2006. The most probable locations at this moment are Poland and the UK. Some say that Poland is a promising candidate for its geographical location and the polish defense industry started doing buisness with Boeing and Lockheed Martin 2 of the leading american giants who are also covering the development of the Missile Shield. The 3rd reason is the support of the Polish goverment to the current US administration. The polish officials had so far neither confirmed nor denied the claims. If Poland is however chosen the will certinaly be objections from the Russian Federation wich the Bush administration will have to consider in the construction of the european part of the shield. The UK is also a likely candidate for housing the site, as it has already signed the treaty for BMD (Ballistic Missile Defence) cooperation and the UK enabled the modification of the Early Warning and Surveilance Radar at Fylingsdale, North England. The USA is also negotiating for the upgrade of the radar station in Thula, Greenland with the Danish goverment.