Military Aviation Plant No. 1 in Łódź will be able to carry out inspections and repairs of selected components of AH-64E helicopters, and their Oaklin branch will handle maintenance of Apache engines. All thanks to offset agreements, which Deputy Minister of Defence Paweł Bejda concluded with representatives of Boeing and General Electric.
– It was hard but good negotiations, which were successful for both parties," said Paweł Bejda on Monday. Deputy Minister of National Defence signed 2 offset agreements concerning the acquisition for the Polish Army Apache AH-64E helicopters. The first one, concluded with the Boeing Company, refers to the implementation of 7 commitments with a full value of over PLN 400 million. Under its power, Military Aviation Plant No. 1 in Łódź will be able to conduct inspections and repairs of selected AH-64E components, which will be bought by Poland, and Military method Academy will conduct maintenance personnel training.
The second agreement concluded with General electrical Company concerns six commitments with a full value of over PLN 530 million. Thanks to it, the Dęblin branch of WZL 1 will gain competence to operate turboshaft engines T-700-701D, CT7-2E1 and CT7-8E, which are utilized not only in AH-64E helicopters, but besides in AW101, AW149 or S-70i Black Hawk.
Paweł Bejda pointed out that the signing of contracts is part of the implementation of the announcements, according to which at least 50 percent of the expenditure allocated to arms is to go to companies from the Polish defence industry. “This is an extraordinary chance besides for the Łódź region, Dęblin, but besides the Military method Academy,” said the Deputy Chief of the MON during the ceremony. “This technology provided by the American side is an amazing boost of cognition and competence,” he noted.
Film: Magdalena Miernicka, Aleksander Kruk/ArmyTV
Poland started efforts to get 96 helicopters in the AH-64E Guardian version in 2022. A year later the US legislature has agreed to specified a transaction, Poland has besides signed the first offset agreement with Lockheed Martin, which is responsible, among others, for radars operating fire, which are equipped with machines. However, it was inactive unclear erstwhile the executive contract would be signed. A fewer weeks ago, the head of the Armed Forces Agency reported in the media that there was a deficiency of agreement about 1 of the offset contracts. Since the contracts were concluded today, can we anticipate an executive paper to be signed? Brig-Gen Artur Kuptel, head of the AU, confirmed this information during a gathering with journalists. Details, including the number of machines which Poland will yet acquire, are to be presented in the coming days. If everything goes as planned, the deliveries of American helicopters will begin in 2028.
But that's not all. The Head of the Armed Forces Agency besides informed that the Implementing Agreement will open the way for Poland to conclude another one, this time concerning leasing of 8 machines from the USA. The Polish Army will be able to usage them until the Apaches ordered are delivered. The first machines were to go to Poland this year.
