The agreement between Poland's state-owned Military Aviation Works No. 1 and US defense contractor Lockheed Martin covers servicing in Poland of Apache helicopters ordered by Warsaw under a 2024 contract worth about USD 10.8 billion (EUR 9.4 billion).
Poland has ordered 96 AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopters.
“Thanks to the American Apaches, which will be serviced here, Poland will be prepared to repel an attack on the modern battlefield, and will be able to respond to modern threats,” Tusk said at the signing ceremony.
He said the purchase was “a great opportunity, not only for our defense, but also for these plants”, and described the Apache order as one of the biggest contracts between Poland and the United States.
Tusk said Poland had negotiated the helicopter contract and offset commitments firmly.
“One must negotiate firmly in one’s own interest,” he said. “Our task ... is to safeguard Polish security and Polish interests. That is why we negotiate firmly and that is why offset has become a fact here."
He added that investment in the Apache service center would also allow Polish industry to acquire new capabilities.
“We are slowly all beginning to understand that Poland is a partner not only very loyal, but also demanding,” Tusk said. “We can fight for our interests with dignity, never on our knees.”
Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said the investment reflected both Poland’s needs and the strategy for developing its armed forces.
“This is an extraordinary moment, when the military aviation plant in Łódź gains the ability to service Apaches, but also other helicopters used by the Polish army,” he said.
He said 96 Apaches would give Poland the world’s second-largest fleet of US-made combat helicopters after the United States.
“We are building the largest land army in Europe,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said. “You cannot organize a large army, large land forces, without proper air cover.”
(jh/gs)
Source: PAP