Armed Forces
Poland Boosts Combat Helicopters: Apache Mega-Deal Signed
Photo. Maksymilian Dura/Defence24
Polish Ministry of Defence has signed an agreement with the U.S. government for the delivery of 96 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, along with a logistics and training package, as well as a supply of weapons and spare parts. This will make Poland the second-largest user of these helicopters in the world, after the United States, with the contract valued at approximately 40 billion PLN (USD 10 billion).
The agreement was signed in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Deputy Minister Paweł Bejda, who is responsible for modernization, U.S. Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski, and the head of the Armament Agency, Brigadier General Artur Kuptel. The Minister of Defense emphasized that ensuring peace is the main task for politicians today. He described the agreement signing as a “historic moment” and noted that the purchase involves 96 of the “most advanced” attack helicopters. The contract is worth $10 billion.
The Minister of Defence thanked the public for supporting high defence expenditures, stating, “This is a matter of honour, functioning, and life.” He also thanked U.S. President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and U.S. Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski. Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz highlighted that 20 members of the flight and ground crews will be trained this year.
He emphasized that the helicopters have the most modern Apache Guardian radars. Additionally, the offset agreement will support the maintenance of helicopter engines by WZL1, not only for the Apache but also for the AW101, AW149, and Black Hawk helicopters. The Minister of Defence noted that the helicopters will be stationed in Inowrocław, Malbork, and Świdnik, where a new base will be established. The Deputy Prime Minister also thanked Deputy Minister Paweł Bejda’s team and the Armament Agency, led by Brigadier General Artur Kuptel, for their involvement in the negotiations.
The agreement, signed at the 1st Brigade of Army Aviation in Inowrocław with the U.S. government for the delivery of 96 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, is extensive. Not only does it include the helicopters themselves but also a logistics and training package, as well as a necessary supply of weapons and spare parts. The logistics package includes equipment for helicopter maintenance, airport and hangar equipment, and technical support. The training package provides specialized training for pilots and technical personnel, as well as comprehensive and partial task simulators.
This contract was preceded by offset agreements previously signed with three American defence companies (Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and General Electric Company). These agreements involve acquiring a range of technologies and know-how for the technical maintenance, support, and operational readiness of the AH-64E attack helicopters, but only for those that will enter service with the Polish Armed Forces. Additionally, in 2023, a training agreement was signed with the U.S. government, under which the first Polish pilots and engineers have already completed training on these types of helicopters in the U.S.
The next training contract will thus be a continuation of the already started process. This is necessary because, in an optimal scenario, four trained pilots are required for each Apache helicopter. Therefore, the flight crew alone will need to consist of approximately 400 people. Fortunately, the new helicopters will be introduced in batches between 2028 and 2032, replacing the currently used and outdated Soviet-era Mi-24 attack helicopters in the 1st Brigade of Army Aviation.
This will mark a significant generational leap in the aviation of the Polish Army. A large number of helicopters, considered the best in their class worldwide, will be introduced. Thanks to their onboard sensors, they can perform both combat missions, involving the use of weapons, and reconnaissance missions. Unfortunately, these helicopters are also very expensive, including in terms of operation and maintenance (approximately 2 billion PLN per year in total).
Some compensation for this purchase was supposed to be offset agreements. So far, however, these are not contracts related to generating revenue but ensuring the independent operation of the helicopters. Currently, there is no chance, for example, to become a producer of certain American components, to at least partially recoup the costs of such a large contract. Such agreements concerning Apache helicopters may be signed in the future, but there are no guarantees that this will happen.