The radar base, a part of the U.S. missile defense shield that the United States planned to build in Czech military district Brdy will stand at least 5 km away from the nearest residence, Czech chief-of-staff Vlastimil Picek said on Wednesday.

Picek said the radar system would necessarily reduce the training of the Czech artillery brigade, which stationed in Brdy, by about a half.

Nevertheless, the artillery training in Brdy would not be terminated, Picek said.

Its 50-percent reduction will mainly concern the shooting range's size, but it would not impair the unit's operation in general, he added.

Deputy Foreign Minister Tomas Pojar told journalists that the location of the U.S. base should be optimal from the radar operation's point of view but it should be acceptable to local residents as well.

"We attentively listen to people saying they would like the base to stand more inside the Brdy district rather than on its edge," Pojar said.

The inhabitants of several west Bohemian villages in the vicinity of Brdy have expressed opposition to the radar base in several polls organized by the municipalities concerned.

On Monday, American experts started to examine hydrological and geological conditions, infrastructure and transport accessibility of the Brdy military district for the radar construction.

Last Friday, Czech and U.S. experts completed the first round of diplomatic discussion on the legal status of the radar base's staff.

Washington unveiled its plan to build a anti-missile radar base in the Czech republic and silos with missiles in Poland. Most Czech citizens opposed the U.S. plan.

Source: Xinhua