Polish Army to receive 96 Apache helicopters
The signing ceremony of the contract for the supply of Apaches to the Polish Armed Forces took place on Tuesday at the 6th Air Base in Inowrocław, where the 1st Aviation Brigade of the Ground Forces is stationed.. It is this unit that will receive the first helicopters, which will eventually replace the obsolete post-Soviet Mi-24.
As Kosiniak Kamysz assessed, the Apache contract is of a “groundbreaking” nature – with regard to the capabilities of the Polish Army, especially in the field of cooperation between ground forces – for example, armored forces – with the air force. Apache helicopters will be part of the equipment of the Ground Forces and their main task will be to support soldiers on the ground. – It’s all a system of connected vessels and cooperation – noted the head of the Ministry of National Defense.
– Today we are reaching a milestone in the transformation and equipping the Army with next-generation AH-64E Apache attack helicopters in the most modern version – said Kosiniak-Kamysz. He added that the acquisition cost of 96 helicopters is approximately $10 billion.
Kosiniak-Kamysz also drew attention to the already announced lease agreement for American Apaches. The idea is to temporarily purchase helicopters from the Americans in order to maintain the Polish army’s capabilities in the area of using attack helicopters and to allow Polish personnel to train on these machines on a larger scale.
The head of the Ministry of National Defense also recalled that the first two of the 32 F-35 fighters ordered are scheduled to be delivered to the Polish Air Force in August.. However, for now the machines will remain in the US, where Polish pilots and technicians will train on them.
A groundbreaking purchase. The first Apaches will arrive in Poland in 2028
The purchase of 96 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters in the Guardian version was announced in 2022 by the then head of the Ministry of National Defense, Mariusz Błaszczak. Last week, offset agreements were signed with Boeing and General Electric, providing, among others, for service and renewal of some helicopter parts in Polish factories.
The Boeing-built AH-64E Apache has been the primary attack helicopter used by the U.S. Army since the 1980s.. Since their introduction, they have been constantly modernized. Their task is primarily to support military personnel on the ground – for example, armored forces – by destroying enemy ground targets using a wide range of weapons, including the M230 automatic cannon and Hellfire air-to-ground missiles.
As announced by the Armament Agency, as planned The first Apaches ordered for the Polish Armed Forces are scheduled for delivery in 2028.
