By Gabriela Baczynska

WARSAW, July 2 (Reuters) - Poland confirmed on Wednesday the United States had set out its final terms for basing 10 missile interceptors on Polish soil as part of a defence shield, but said it would need time to assess the proposal.

The offer follows many months of negotiations on the system intended to protect the United States and its European allies from possible attack by what Washington calls 'rogue states', particularly Iran.

A source close to the talks, who asked not to be identified, said: "I am happy with the final U.S. offer for Poland."

Poland had requested billions of dollars of U.S. investment to upgrade its air defences. Among Warsaw's requests were Patriot ground-to-air missiles. Critics said the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk had overplayed its hand in the talks.

"The last round of negotiations with the Americans has been finalised, the final offer was delivered to Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Now we only await his political decision," Witold Waszczykowski, Poland's chief negotiator, told Reuters. The government said it would not be rushed into a decision.

CZECHS AGREE TO RADAR

"We received this (offer) and will now take time to assess the offer inside the government. But this is about Poland's security, this is serious and we will take as much time as needed," said Slawomir Nowak, a senior advisor to Tusk.

He declined to comment further on the timing of a decision and no details of the U.S. offer were made public.

Defence Minister Bogdan Klich, also contacted by Reuters, said: "We are assessing the offer now but inside the government, not publicly. This may take a while."

U.S. officials said on Tuesday Washington expected to reach a deal soon on the missile interceptors.

Washington has already reached agreement with the Czech Republic on basing a tracking radar there as part of the missile defence plan. The Czech parliament has still to ratify the deal.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit Prague next week to sign that deal and may also travel to Warsaw if the Tusk government has given the go-ahead to the Polish offer, diplomats and local media say.

Russia strongly opposes the shield plan, saying it poses a direct threat to its own security and its nuclear deterrent. Moscow has threatened to point missiles at Poland and the Czech Republic, both NATO allies, in the event of deployment.

Public opinion in both Poland and the Czech Republic remains largely sceptical about the missile defence plan.

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