New helicopters for Poland in 2018: defence minister

According to Macierewicz, his ministry wants every factory producing helicopters in Poland to have an opportunity to supply the country’s armed forces.

“Orders for the period to 2022 are for at least 50 helicopters,” Macierewicz said.

“We are not confining ourselves to that number but at least 50 helicopters will be supplied to the Polish army,” he said.

“There is no doubt about that. The first helicopters will be delivered in 2018.”

Earlier this week Poland invited three firms that took part in a previous tender for new preliminary talks on supplying helicopters to the country’s armed forces.

Beata Perkowska of the Polish defence ministry’s Operations Centre said the talks “relate to the purchase of helicopters as part of an urgent operational need reported by the Polish Armed Forces."

She added that PLN 1 billion has been earmarked for the purchase. Perkowska did not say how many helicopters would be bought.

In a move that caused tensions with France, Poland earlier this month announced that negotiations over a PLN 13.4 bln purchase of 50 Caracal multi-role choppers from French-based Airbus Helicopters had ended.

The previous Civic Platform-led government had decided to purchase the 50 helicopters from Airbus in April 2015.

It rejected rival offers from PZL Mielec, owned by US firm Lockheed Martin, and PZL Świdnik, owned by Italy’s Leonardo.

The decision to purchase from a French firm met with domestic criticism at the time.

Poland’s Law and Justice government indicated that it might cancel the deal after winning elections in October 2015. (vb/pk)

Source: PAP