Poland on Tuesday (13/8) signed a $10 billion deal to buy 96 Apache attack helicopters from US manufacturer Boeing in a new upgrade to the country's military capabilities.
Poland has drastically accelerated the modernization of its armed forces since Russia's massive invasion of neighboring Ukraine in 2022.
“This is an important purchase by Poland for its armed forces of… 96 advanced AH-64E Apache attack helicopters,” Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz told reporters.
“Today we mark a milestone in the transformation and equipping of the army,” he added, speaking at Inowroclaw air base where the Apaches will be deployed.
The deal is the latest in a series of contracts signed by Poland with the United States in recent days.
On Friday (9/8), Warsaw announced a deal to buy hundreds of AIM-120C AMRAAM air-to-air missiles. On Monday (12/8), there was a contract to build 48 launchers for the US-designed Patriot air defense system.
Poland, a staunch ally of Ukraine, has announced it will spend more than four percent of its gross domestic product on defense this year – double NATO's target of two percent.
The Ukraine war has also strengthened ties between the United States and Poland, a country on NATO's eastern flank that counts Washington as one of its key allies.
The sale of the Apache helicopters was approved last year by the State Department and the US Congress.
The deal “changes the face of Polish military operations and complements” previous purchases, Kosiniak-Kamysz said, referring in particular to the Abrams tanks Poland has purchased in recent years.
According to the Polish government, the Apache was designed to be used alongside the Abrams.
“For Abrams, the Apache was a critical element,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
In 2022, Poland purchased 250 Abrams with the modernized M1A2 variant. The order is scheduled to be delivered later this year. Poland will be the first country outside the United States to have the tank.
The attack helicopter agreement also envisages the provision of maintenance equipment, technical and training support, flight simulators and spare parts for the Polish army.
The first US-made helicopters will be delivered in 2028, but some Polish pilots have already started training with the US-made helicopters.
The Apache will replace Russia's outdated Mi-24 helicopters. (lt/uh)
