Powidz: Weapons Storage Facilities - Construction Works Begin

During the ceremony, the head of the Polish Ministry of Defence recalled that his last visit to the Powidz base happened on the occasion of the visit of the US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who met the Polish and US Soldiers at that base.

“Today we have symbolically launched the investment that has already been prepared, and is scheduled to be finalized in April 2024, involving an establishment of a weapons warehouse for the US Army ABCT”, added Błaszczak, during a press briefing.

The Minister noted that the Powidz-based investment is neighboring another development that is scheduled to come to an end this year. "The aforesaid investment involves the establishment of a storage facility for hardware, fighting vehicles, and maintenance of those vehicles. This would make it possible to equip an ABCT in a short period", he explained.

Błaszczak announced that the new investment is being co-financed by Poland, NATO, and the US. "The assumption for this, and the previous investment (...) that's coming to an end now, is to create conditions that would make it possible for the allied forces, the US forces primarily, to be rapidly equipped with their combat inventory, so that, in the event of a crisis, they can realistically support the Polish military", he said.

“We are proud of the fact that 12 thousand US soldiers are stationed in Poland”, Błaszczak stated, adding that “The Polish soldiers are training, hand in hand, with the US troops, enhancing the interoperability and training the procedures. And we are doing all of that for the sake of the Polish national security, and security of the NATO Eastern Flank”, Błaszczak said.

The investment assumes that 56 ECM (Earth Covered Magazines) facilities are built, along with maintenance and administrative buildings, whereas 5 magazines would be handed off to Poland, and 51 of them would be used by the Americans. The possibility of a further expansion of MSA is also being envisaged.