Mariusz Błaszczak made the announcement after a meeting with US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin in Washington on Friday, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
The two politicians discussed “Polish-American military cooperation, the security situation on NATO’s eastern flank and in Europe, deepening military interoperability and the US military presence in Poland,” according to officials.
Błaszczak thanked Austin for his "personal contribution to the deepening of Polish-American relations."
Błaszczak and Austin also signed a bilateral Polish-American agreement on “reciprocal defence procurement,” designed to boost the two countries' arms industries, reporters were told.
Błaszczak said that Poland was already producing launchers for the US Patriot air defence system and components for the F-16 jet.
Poland to produce parts for HIMARS system?
The Polish defence minister, who is on a five-day visit to North America, told reporters: “The contract for the HIMARS system is going to include a role for the Polish arms industry. The HIMARS launchers will be mounted on Polish Jelcz trucks, but we are also in talks on the production of parts. So it will be a Polish-American investment.”
He added that the first five HIMARS launchers of the 20 ordered in 2019 would reach Poland in May.
US to give Poland 8 Apache helicopters to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank
Błaszczak announced that the United States would provide Poland with eight Apache helicopters from its own stocks, to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, until Warsaw buys its own machines.
The Polish defence minister told reporters at the Pentagon: “The US Army will provide Poland with Apache helicopters from its own resources before we sign the deal to buy 96 Apaches.”
He added: “The Apache helicopters work well with Abrams tanks and will thus go to the eastern flank of NATO.”
Błaszczak, who is also a deputy prime minister, said that the Apache combat helicopters "are the best in the world" and represent “a very important capability, and so I am grateful to Secretary Austin for this decision.”
He added that Polish pilots would begin training on the Apache helicopters “in a few weeks,” the PAP news agency reported.
Błaszczak told the media that his talks with Austin also focused on “the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, our commitment to prepare the alliance’s response plans and increasing the outlays on strengthening the defence forces of NATO countries.”
Błaszczak and Austin also unveiled a mural at the Pentagon in tribute to Polish-American military cooperation, the PAP news agency reported.
The memorial features the likenesses of Polish and American independence heroes Tadeusz Kościuszko and Kazimierz Pułaski, as well as US Army Sgt. Michael Ollins, who died in Afghanistan while saving the life of a Polish officer, according to PAP.
Friday is day 436 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, dziennik.pl