BIAŁOBRZEGI, Poland -- Commanding General of U.S. Space Forces in Europe – Space Forces Africa, Brig. Gen. Jacob Middleton, was hosted at the Polish IMINT Centre in Białobrzegi, Poland, June 27, 2025, for his first official engagement with the Polish Ministry of National Defence (MoND). Middleton met with Brig. Gen. Marcin Górka, Director and Minister of National Defense’s Plenipotentiary for Space, Brig. Gen. Mieczysław Bieniek, Chief of J2 Directorate of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, and other MoND representatives. Also in attendance was Ms. Deanna Ryals, Director of Space International Affairs, Deputy Undersecretary of the Air Force for International Affairs, and Maj. Andrew Chen, Deputy Chief of Air Force & Space Programs, U.S. Embassy Office of Defense Cooperation – Warsaw. This visit followed a previous engagement between Middleton, Maj. Gen. Karol Dymanowski, Poland Vice Chief of Defence, and Mieczysław Bieniek in January 2025.
Discussions focused on enhancing U.S.-Polish cooperation in space, specifically addressing Poland's operational needs and supporting U.S. European Command's (USEUCOM) Campaign Plan. Middleton also addressed Polish concerns regarding adverse positioning, navigation, and timing and satellite communication jamming commonly experienced by NATO’s Eastern Flank countries. The U.S. expressed its support to Poland's rapidly expanding military space program and its ambition to become a regional leader in European space. Further engagements are planned, including briefings to USEUCOM, as well as U.S. support for Poland's first Space Tabletop Exercise. The visit reinforced the growing strategic importance of Poland as a key U.S. ally in space.