Poland buys 96 Apache helicopters to boost attack capabilities

WARSAW, Poland — The Polish Ministry of National Defence has signed a deal with the United States government to purchase 96 Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters — with related gear and weapons — for the country’s armed forces.

The signing ceremony was held on Aug. 13 and was attended by Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and National Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.

“Today we are making a milestone with regards to equipping the Polish Armed Forces with the most modern AH-64E Apache attack helicopters,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said during the event, according to a statement released by the Polish ministry.

Under the offset agreements signed as part of the acquisition, Poland’s defense industry will be involved in servicing and upgrading the helicopters, Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

The contract is worth approximately $10 billion. Once the 96 aircraft are delivered, the Polish military will be the Apache’s second largest user in the world, preceded only by the U.S. military, the release said.

Poland has intensified its military modernization efforts following Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022.

Owing to the latest deal, the Polish military will be able to replace its outdated Soviet-designed Mil Mi-2 and Mi-24 helicopters with new aircraft. The contract marks the largest acquisition of Western-made helicopters in Poland’s history.

Under the plan, the aircraft will be deployed to the 1st Aviation Brigade in Inowrocław. Located in the country’s west, the brigade is tasked with providing aerial support to the Polish land forces.

The foreign military sale to Poland was approved by the U.S. State Department on Aug. 21, 2023. In a statement, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said that, in addition to 96 helicopters and related gear and services, Poland aims to secure a wide range of weapon systems.

These include 1,844 AGM-114R2 Hellfire missiles, 460 AGM-179A Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles and 508 Stinger 92K Block I missiles, among others, according to the agency.

Jaroslaw Adamowski is the Poland correspondent for Defense News.

波兰华沙——波兰国防部与美国政府签署了一项协议，将为该国武装部队购买 96 架波音 AH-64E 阿帕奇攻击直升机以及相关装备和武器。

签字仪式于 8 月 13 日举行，波兰副总理兼国防部长瓦迪斯瓦夫·科西尼亚克-卡梅什出席了仪式。

据波兰国防部发布的一份声明称，科西尼亚克-卡米什在活动中表示：“今天，我们在为波兰武装部队配备最先进的AH-64E阿帕奇攻击直升机方面取得了里程碑式的进展。”

科西尼亚克-卡米什表示，根据作为收购一部分而签署的抵消协议，波兰国防工业将参与直升机的维修和升级。

这份合同价值约100亿美元。新闻稿称，一旦96架飞机交付完毕，波兰军方将成为阿帕奇直升机在全球的第二大用户，仅次于美国军方。

2022年2月俄罗斯入侵邻国乌克兰后，波兰加大了军事现代化力度。

根据最新达成的协议，波兰军方将能够用新型飞机替换其老旧的苏联设计的米-2和米-24直升机。该合同标志着波兰历史上规模最大的西方制造直升机采购项目。

根据计划，这批飞机将部署到位于伊诺弗罗茨瓦夫的第一航空旅。该旅位于波兰西部，负责为波兰陆军提供空中支援。

2023年8月21日，美国国务院批准了对波兰的对外军售。国防安全合作局在一份声明中表示，除了96架直升机及相关装备和服务外，波兰还计划获得一系列武器系统。

据该机构称，其中包括 1,844 枚 AGM-114R2 地狱火导弹、460 枚 AGM-179A 联合空对地导弹和 508 枚毒刺 92K Block I 导弹等。

Jaroslaw Adamowski 是《防务新闻》驻波兰记者。