The Russian Navy will reinforce its Baltic fleet with high-precision weapons on new Corvette Class ships in response to US plans to deploy Patriot missiles in Poland close to the Russian border.

According to Russian media group RIA Novosti it will mainly be the surface, underwater and air components of the Baltic fleet that will be reinforced.

A high-ranking Russian Navy spokesman told the news service that new warships would be equipped with long-range high-precision cruise missiles.

In November 2009 the US signed a deal with Poland confirming the deployment of a US Patriot missile battery on its territory, which is just 100km from the Russian border.