An agreement between Poland and the United States for the supply of 250 American M1A2 tanks to the Polish army has now been finalized, Poland’s Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak announced on Monday.
The deal, which will reportedly cost Poland $4.7 billion, had been in the pipeline for some time, with preliminary discussions commencing over a year ago.
At a signing ceremony on Tuesday, attended by the U.S. Ambassador to Poland Marek Brzeziński, Błaszczak thanked all who had been engaged in the process, hailing the agreement as “a very important day for Polish-American cooperation.”
The agreement is understood to also include logistics, training and ammunition supplies.
Some 28 Abrams tanks, considered to be the most modern tanks in the world, will be delivered to Poland this year in order for its forces to commence training with the new vehicles.
“We’re strengthening Poland’s army and deterring a potential aggressor. That is our task, that is our priority” said Poland’s defense chief.
The U.S. State Department approved the sale of the tanks used in the U.S. army just a few days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The purchase of the M1A2 Abrams SEPv3 was then announced by Poland’s deputy PM Jarosław Kaczyński and the defense minister Mariusz Błaszczak.
