Poland signs $300M lease for Apache attack helicopters

WARSAW — Poland has formally signed a $300 million leasing agreement for eight AH-64D Apache attack helicopters, a bridge to when the Polish Land Forces will receive their full order of Apaches.

The deal was signed Feb. 27 by Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Poland’s deputy prime minister and minister of national defense, at Latkowo, home of the 1st Land Forces Aviation Brigade. The agreement covers not only the leasing of the rotorcraft themselves, but support for training and operations.

The leasing decision was made “so that our soldiers can gain skills and be fully prepared for the arrival” of the future Apaches, Kosiniak-Kamysz said. “We are spending $300 million on it, so that our pilots, ground support personnel can get to know and learn all the skills, can take control of this equipment.”

Poland in August signed its Letter of Acceptance on a $10 billion order of 96 Boeing-made AH-64Es, procured through a Foreign Military Sale case. Under that agreement, Poland will become the second largest Apache operator in the world, behind only the US Army.

Deliveries are expected to run between 2028 and 2032, with 15 helicopters to be delivered in that first year. Once the Apaches are fully procured, they will be subordinated to the 1st Land Forces Aviation Brigade (1 BLWL), a tactical unit consisting of the 49th Air Base in Pruszcz Gdański, the 56th Air Base in Inowrocław and the Central Group of Tactical Air Area Control Teams. The AH-64s will be based at Inowrocław, Malbork and Świdnik.

But the Polish government did not want to wait that long to be able to begin training and operations. Hence, the decision to go for the leasing agreement.

“Because of to this [leasing], we will be ready to accept these helicopters faster,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said. “We will have trained crews who will be able to operate this equipment. […] In addition, spare parts, a logistics package, simulators, armament, i.e. all the elements that are needed for this agreement to be fully valuable” will be met, he said.

Last year the first Polish airmen completed the AH-64E Aviation Qualification Course and Instructor Pilot course as well as the AH-64E helicopter repairer and the American Language Course-General English at Fort Novosel in Alabama.

Deputy Minister of National Defense Paweł Bejda, who was also at the signing, emphasized the domestic economic benefit of the deal, thanks to commercial offsets for Boeing that were required by the government.

Thanks to those offsets, “the Military Aviation Plant No. 1 in Łódź and Dęblin will be able to service both the composite structures of helicopters and their [T-700-701D, CT7-2E1 and CT7-8E] engines. Importantly, the same engines are also used in Leonardo [AW101 and AW149] and Black Hawk helicopters,” Bejda  said. “At the same time, the Military University of Technology will be able to train students, technicians and engineers for service and repair of composite components and engines.

“In this way, we are fulfilling the commitment that at least 50 percent of [any] expenditure on arms will remain in Polish defense companies.”