SAFE – money that will service Poland

Money will service Poland

Donald Tusk besides refuted the myths of SAFE. 1 of them is the view that the programme threatens Polish sovereignty. On the another hand, the Prime Minister showed that it was designed in Poland, and the European Commission “every comma” respected Polish proposals. “We are the ones who told Brussels what this task is expected to look like, not them. The implementation of the SAFE task itself was an expression of Polish sovereignty, the head of government stated.

Referring to the proposition that the task is peculiarly beneficial for German companies, the Prime Minister stated that the manufacture of our western neighbour will benefit from the implementation of SAFE in Poland only 0.37%. And, as he pointed out, this is simply a Swedish-German company.

Tusk stressed that over 80% of the funds from SAFE are money that will service Poland and Polish companies. As he calculated, the program will be able to benefit nearly 12,000 PGZ Group co-operators. – The money from this task will be dedicated, among others. Eastern Shields, the safest military border in Europe – said the Prime Minister. At the same time, he assured that participation in the program would not affect Poland's cooperation with the US and the money spent there.

The same spirit was expressed by Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence. – SAFE is not a political program, it is simply a patriotic program, it is simply a choice of strong Poland, a safe Europe and lasting alliances. Each day of the hold of this programme is simply a failure to Poland's safe and operational capabilities of the Polish Army – stressed the Deputy Prime Minister.

He added that thanks to the amendment of the Senate, the money from SAFE would not be repaid from the budget of the Ministry of Defence. Furthermore, according to the head of the MON, the expenditure from SAFE is exempt from VAT, so that for the same amount we can buy more equipment. Kosiniak-Kamysz explained that the program besides allows us to meet commitments to our essential partner in NATO, the United States, where by 2035 we have planned spending of PLN 120 billion.

General Wiesław Kukuła, the Head of the General Staff of the HR, spoke about speeding up the transformation of armed forces thanks to SAFE. He pointed out that the financing of certain pre-planned expenditure from SAFE would let for the "release" of part of the appropriations in the MON budget and for additional purchases. The general estimates that between 2027 and 2030 the amount of these funds may amount to as much as PLN 30 billion. He besides assured that military experts had reviewed the program, and the acquisition plan coincides with the plan to modernise the method and urgent operational needs of the military.

89% published in Polish plants

Detailed data on the investments for which the money will be allocated from SAFE were presented at the conference by Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, the typical of the Government for the Instrument for European safety Enhancement and Caesary TomczykDeputy Minister for Defence.

As they said, the budget of the SAFE programme amounts to about 150 billion EUR, and Poland as its largest beneficiary can number to 43.7 billion EUR, which in terms of PLN 200 billion. – Around PLN 170 billion will be awarded to projects straight related to defence. Over PLN 9 billion will be allocated to military mobility projects, i.e. infrastructure of strategical importance – said Sobkowiak-Czarnecka.

The largest percent of funds will be allocated to artillery systems (28%, or PLN 47.6 billion), further on anti-aircraft, anti-missile and anti-drone systems (26% – PLN 44.2 billion) and ground fighting and support systems (19% – PLN 32.3 billion). Next on the list are ammunition and rocket missiles (14% –23.8 billion PLN), strategical air transport and space resources (8% – 13.6 billion PLN), fresh technologies (3% – 5.1 billion PLN) and 2%, i.e. 3.4 billion PLN for “Safe Baltic”.

Specific projects included: Eastern Shield (including, inter alia, mine-containers, controlled explosive devices, anti-tank mines and electronic designation systems), unmanned systems (including FlyEye-type miniature BSPs), SAN anti-drone systems (among others, 35 mm SA cannon, 12.7 mm large caliber device gun, APKWS launcher, MEROPS drone-kamikaze, electronic combat vehicles).

– Unmanned systems are an crucial aspect of the usage of SAFE funds. Drowning the battlefield present has become an absolute priority, and it provides for, among others, drone impact modules, unmanned reconnaissance and impact systems, intelligent fire management systems, mini class BSPs and unmanned marine weapons systems, as calculated by Deputy Minister Tomczyk.

SAFE will besides finance armoured vehicles and artillery (e.g. Fire modules 120 mm Cancer, BWP Badger, Fire divisional modules Regina-Krab 155 mm, KTO Rosomak or LOTR reconnaissance wagons). The anti-aircraft defence indicated, among others, the Mobile Lightning Set, and the air force will be reinforced by air tanker, earth reflection systems or school-to-fight helicopters. The programme will besides cover space resources, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, radio-electronic combat and the programme "Safe Baltic” (including the financing of the construction of ships) Lifeguard and Hydrograph and modern mine destroyers Cormoran II).

As Sobkowiak-Czarnecka pointed out, the calculation of the Armed Forces Agency, which will make purchases, shows that 89% of the funds will be spent in Polish armament plants. Deputy Minister Tomczyk stated that the money would go to specified companies as: MESKO, Military Aviation Plant No. 1 in Łódź, Military Electronic Plant in Zielonka, weapon mill “Łuknik” in Radom, Huta Stalowa Wola, metallic Plant “Dezamet” or Mechanical Plant “Tarnów”.

– The funds from SAFE in Poland will not only be allocated to the arms industry. Over PLN 7 billion will be covered by projects concerning the Police, Border defender and State Protection Service – added Sobkowiak-Czarnecka.