The Polish Deputy Minister of National Defense Paweł Bejda has finalized two offset agreements with Boeing and General Electric related to Poland’s acquisition of AH-64E Apache helicopters. The total value of these contracts is nearly 1 billion złoty (around €232 million).
The deal with Boeing is valued at about 400 million złoty (approximately €93 million), and the agreement with General Electric is worth roughly 530 million złoty (around €123 million). These contracts include the repair of components at facilities in Łódź and Dęblin, as well as services and training for engineers at the Military University of Technology (WAT).
“This is an extraordinary opportunity for the region and for the Military University of Technology,” Bejda said on Monday.
During the announcement, Deputy Minister Bejda also expressed gratitude towards the U.S. Congress, which had to approve the start of negotiations for acquiring the helicopters. He highlighted that the agreements would significantly enhance the security of the nation.
The plan to purchase 96 AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters was initially announced in 2022 by then-Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak; however, a contract for the helicopters’ delivery has not yet been signed.
In August of the previous year, the U.S. State Department and subsequently Congress approved the sale of these helicopters to Poland, which was followed by the first offset agreements with Lockheed Martin, including services for radar and missile guidance systems for helicopters.
The Boeing-produced AH-64E Apache helicopters are the primary attack helicopters used by the U.S. Army since the 1980s. Their main role is to support ground troops, for instance, armored forces, by destroying enemy ground targets with a variety of weapons, including the M230 chain gun and Hellfire air-to-ground missiles.
