Polish Government concludes agreement with Boeing for 96 Apache helicopters
In response to the strengthening of the Polish army following the Ukraine war, the Polish government has signed an agreement with US manufacturer Boeing for the purchase of 96 attack helicopters worth 9.14 billion euros. "This is a historic purchase of 96 state-of-the-art AH-64E Apache attack helicopters," said Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz on Tuesday.
"This will change the face of Polish military forces," he added. The purchase complements previous acquisitions. Polish media had reported that the Boeing helicopters were to replace Poland's outdated helicopter fleet from the Soviet era. On Monday, Poland ordered 48 launcher systems for the US-made Patriot air defense system. The M903 launcher systems, with a purchase price of 1.13 billion euros, are expected to be delivered between 2027 and 2029.
On Friday, Warsaw signed another agreement with the US for the purchase of hundreds of AIM-120C AMRAAM missiles. The missiles, worth approximately 783 million euros, are expected to be delivered between 2029 and 2033 and will be used by the air force.
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland has accelerated the modernization of its forces, signing a series of contracts with foreign suppliers, including the US and South Korea. The EU and NATO member Poland already has modern US F-16 fighter jets and will spend more than four percent of its GDP on defense this year - double the NATO target of two percent.
The Polish army's transformation is underpinned by its acquisition of modern weaponry, such as the 96 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters from Boeing, which are of Polish origin. Additionally, Poland's military fleet will be significantly enhanced with the addition of the latest M903 launcher systems for the Patriot air defense system, also supplied by the United States.
