Poland has agreed a £1.9 billion (9.9 billion zloty) deal to buy a British air defence system, in what the countries describe as one of the largest bilateral European air defence deals of its kind.
“I am delighted that the UK and Poland’s deep and historic defence ties take another step forward with the signing of the largest ever UK defence export deal with Poland,” said British defence secretary Ben Wallace as the agreement was announced yesterday.
“We are committed to supporting Poland’s defence modernisation plans and this upgraded air-defence programme will ensure that Poland and the UK have the ability to continue safeguarding our people and bolstering NATO security,” added Wallace.
🇬🇧 company @MBDAGroup and 🇵🇱 have signed a major £1.9 billion export contract to roll out a British air defence system in Poland.
Providing 🇵🇱 with cutting-edge, ground-based air-defence capabilities, the export will support hundreds of UK jobs.
👉 https://t.co/FsAs8zIyIw pic.twitter.com/7EY6dkIchf
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) April 28, 2023
Poland’s defence minister, Mariusz Błaszczak, also hailed the deal for “further increasing the capabilities of Polish air defence”.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Warsaw has embarked on a military procurement spree – mainly from the United States and South Korea – after the government raised defence spending to first 3% and then 4% of GDP, the highest relative level in NATO.
The contract will be fulfilled by the British arm of European missile manufacturer MBDA and will equip 22 Polish air defence batteries with British Common Anti-Air Modular Missiles (CAMMs) and launchers.
The UK has already deployed its own CAMM missiles to Poland as part of its Sky Sabre air defence system. The decision was made shortly before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and implemented after.
The UK is sending its most advanced air defence system – Sky Sabre, which was only unveiled last month – to Poland as it seeks to bolster NATO’s eastern flank https://t.co/yn5Zr49oNO
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) February 24, 2022
“We have played a crucial role in boosting Euro-Atlantic defences since Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine, and this landmark agreement between the UK and Poland is another example of how, alongside our allies, we are committed to protecting our security for generations to come,” said UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yesterday.
“We are deeply proud that Poland is placing CAMM at the core of their layered air defence systems,” added Chris Allam, managing director of MBDA UK.
“This landmark Polish-UK cooperation will provide a major boost to Poland’s air defence capabilities and bring our defence industries closer together, enabling sovereignty and supporting jobs in both countries,” said Allam.
Poland plans to increase defence spending to 4% of GDP this year, which on current figures would be the highest level in NATO.
"This will be clear evidence for all countries [that] we will defend our land," says the prime minister https://t.co/8vS0qANiYS
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) January 31, 2023
Main image credit: MOD (under Open Government Licence)
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
