US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has signed a controversial deal with Poland to install Washington's missile defense system there.

The deal is the culmination of 18 months of negotiation between the two countries and has been concluded by Rice and Poland's Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski.

The scheme has angered Russia which argues the shield represents a direct threat at Moscow, although Washington says the system is being put in place to protect the US and Europe from attacks by “rogue elements” in the Middle East, such as Iran.

Ten US interceptor missiles will be placed on an unused military base near Poland's Baltic Sea coast. A radar facility will also be installed in the neighboring Czech Republic.

Warsaw, however, demanded that short-range missiles also be installed to defend Poland's own airspace and called for US pledges to come to Polish help if needed.

Last week, Russia's Deputy Chief of General Staff, General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, warned that the plans for a missile base in Poland "could not go unpunished”.

"It is a cause for regret that at a time when we are already in a difficult situation, the American side further exacerbates the situation in relations between the United States and Russia," he said.

Moscow has warned that it may be forced to redirect its missiles at Poland despite the country's President Lech Kaczynski's assurances that the shield will only serve a defensive function.

The shield is scheduled to be fully operational by 2012.

JC/BGH