The deal was greenlighted by Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak and France’s Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Błaszczak said after penning the deal in Warsaw on Tuesday: “Together with Minister Lecornu, we have just approved a contract between the French, European company Airbus and the Polish Armaments Agency (AU), for the supply of two reconnaissance satellites for the Polish Army.”
He added that the agreement represented “a good opportunity to strengthen our capacity for the early detection of threats.”
Under the deal, Poland is set to receive two Earth observation (EO) satellites, together with a ground station, officials said.
The EO satellites will boost the ability of the Polish army to obtain reconnaissance data, reporters were told.
The Polish military will be able to secure image reconnaissance data with an accuracy of up to 30 centimetres, according to officials.
Moreover, thanks to cooperation with France, Poland’s new imaging satellites will cover a much bigger portion of the Earth, the Polish defence ministry said.
Błaszczak told reporters he was “very pleased” with the contract.
He stated: “The Polish army will acquire an exceptionally important capability that will complement its deterrence potential.”
He added: “It’s an early-warning system, against both military and civilian threats,” such as natural disasters.
Błaszczak’s meeting with Lecornu also focused on Polish-French cooperation within NATO and the European Union, in addition to bilateral military ties, regional security, and support for war-torn Ukraine, officials said.
Tuesday is day 307 of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, 300polityka.pl