A new facility at Powidz Air Base in Poland will store the equipment needed to establish and operate expeditionary air bases across the region. The site has been described by U.S. officials as the U.S. Air Force’s second-largest War Reserve Materiel location in Europe.
The project was completed through Poland’s Poland Provided Infrastructure program and is intended to allow U.S. and NATO forces to deploy from austere airfields more quickly by keeping critical equipment pre-positioned on the ground.
The completion of the Deployable Air Base System (DABS) storage complex marks another step in ongoing U.S.-Polish military cooperation. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the facility will house facilities, equipment, and vehicles required to support rapid air base operations in and around Poland. The site was formally inaugurated on May 27, 2026, during a ceremony attended by U.S. and Polish military officials at Powidz Air Base in west-central Poland.
New Storage Complex Designed to Support Rapid Air Base Operations
The DABS storage complex is intended to reduce the time needed to establish operational air bases during a crisis. Rather than transporting equipment after forces arrive, the required systems will already be stored at Powidz and available for deployment.
According to the U.S. Air Force, the facility will contain four complete kits capable of supporting more than 2,200 personnel as well as multiple aircraft fleets. The equipment includes fuel systems, vehicles, shelters, and other infrastructure needed to sustain air operations.
Speaking at the ceremony, U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Chad Ellsworth, Director of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection at U.S. Air Forces Europe–Air Forces Africa, said the project represented more than a construction effort.
“This ribbon cutting is for much more than concrete, steel, and critical infrastructure,” Ellsworth said. He described the facility as “a physical manifestation of the U.S.-Polish strategic partnership” and “a cornerstone of NATO’s Eastern Flank security.”
Ellsworth also outlined the operational concept behind the project, stating that aircraft arriving at a bare runway in the region would have immediate access to pre-positioned equipment. According to the U.S. Air Force, this approach is intended to make deployment possible “in hours, not weeks or months.”
The facility is currently operated jointly by U.S. and Polish personnel and is expected to transition to full Polish leadership in the future.
Poland Provided Infrastructure Program Expands Defense Cooperation
The Powidz project is the first U.S. Air Force facility completed under the Poland Provided Infrastructure (PPI) program. Under this arrangement, Poland funds and leads the design and construction of military infrastructure that meets U.S. and allied operational requirements.
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District, the Corps serves as the U.S. execution agent for U.S. European Command and supports PPI projects through design development, design reviews, and construction oversight.
Polish Chief of the Armed Forces Support Inspectorate Maj. Gen. Dariusz Mendrala described the broader PPI effort as one of the largest military infrastructure programs in the history of the Polish Armed Forces. He said the initiative forms part of a wider modernization effort and noted that it consumes nearly five percent of Poland’s gross domestic product.
Powidz has already become an important location for pre-positioned military stocks. The base hosts anArmy Prepositioned Stock site containing ground equipment, and the new DABS complex extends that approach to air operations.
Following the ceremony, Tom Waters, Chief of the Special Programs Integration Office at the Corps’ Europe District, said that projects such as the Powidz facility contribute to readiness and deterrence along NATO’s eastern flank. According to the Corps, the organization will continue working with Polish partners on additional infrastructure projects under the PPI program.
