A team of 20 experts from the U.S. Defense Department (DOD) was to arrive in the Czech Republic July 18 to scout at least three Army bases during a weeklong visit to identify potential sites for a missile-defense base.

The United States is surveying Poland and the Czech Republic as likely hosts for its controversial missile-defense shield, intended to protect against long-range missiles fired from the east, including Iran and North Korea.

One site, near this small town of 2,200, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Prague, has locals uncomfortably recalling the Soviet era and its hidden missile silos.

"I don't want the base to be here," said Petr Smola, a military police officer stationed at the edge of the sprawling, 26,000-hectare (64,268-acre) Jince Military Zone, which stretches well beyond the town. "First we had the Russians here, now the Americans will be here."

The Czech Defense Ministry is hosting the Americans, who are evaluating geographical, hydrological and weather conditions. "They want to see the local terrain for themselves, to check how it's shaped," said ministry spokesman Jan Pejšek.

Military zones in Boletice, south Bohemia, and Libavá, north Moravia are also on the team's agenda; a similar U.S. team toured sites in Poland last month, Pejšek says.

Jan Krč, spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Prague, confirmed the visit.

DOD officials have said a decision should be made by autumn. If the United States officially requests a missile base in the Czech Republic, it will be up to the Czech government to agree.

Prime Minister Jiří Paroubek is calling for a referendum on the issue, while opposition leader Mirek Topolánek, the prime minister elect, has been less clear.

Topolánek supports a U.S. missile base, he says, but defers any discussion until a new government is formed.

Jince residents also favor a vote. "A referendum is very important," says Miroslav Rajtl. "Russia used to be the police state. But now it seems the Americans can be one, and I don't like that."