Poland signs $2bn air defence deal with US

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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Poland has signed an intergovernmental agreement with the United States, worth almost $2 billion (7.7 billion zloty), that will see the US provide logistical support and training for the Patriot air defence systems protecting Polish skies.

“Poland is a model NATO ally and a leader in advanced air and missile defense,” said US chargé d’affaires Daniel Lawton at a signing ceremony in the military base in Sochaczewo, attended by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

“We are proud to celebrate another step in US-Polish defense cooperation – strengthening NATO’s eastern flank and deepening our strategic partnership,” added Lawton.

In October 2023, the first Patriot systems procured by Poland from the US were deployed at Warsaw-Babice airport. As part of its short-range Wisła air defence programme, Poland plans to have dozens more launchers, including many produced in Poland itself.

Those plans are part of a broader boost in defence spending undertaken by Poland’s current and former governments that will see the country spend 4.7% of GDP on defence this year, by far the highest relative level in NATO.

“Let Poland be an example that stable loyalty to allies and investment in security is the foundation of Western civilisation,” said Tusk at yesterday’s ceremony.

For us, Polish-American cooperation, NATO stability – these are important matters,” he continued. “We illustrate our commitment to these matters with billions of dollars or euros that we invest in our security.”

Poland is the second country in the world, behind only the US, to have the newest Patriot batteries with the integrated air and missile defence battle command system (IBCS), notes the Polish defence ministry.

“This system is not handed over to [just] anyone. This is a sign of trust and an example of the deepening Polish-US partnership,” said Lawton. “Poland was the first country to acquire the state-of-the-art radar and command system – and the first to announce its initial operational readiness.”

Polish defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz noted that an important element of the new agreement will be training that “will allow our soldiers, the best soldiers of the Polish Army, the best air defence specialists, to train themselves in simulated attacks”.

In a video published yesterday on X after the signing of the defence agreement, Tusk also sent a message to US President Donald Trump, addressing recent concerns over US plans to introduce tariffs and over the continued strength of transatlantic cooperation.

“America could and always can count on Poland,” said Tusk, speaking in English. “You have only friends here. And I can say the same thing about Europe as a whole.”

“In our common European-American interest are a strong US, a strong European Union and a strong NATO, not weaker,” he added. “Think about it, Mr President and dear American friends before you decide to impose tariffs against your closest allies. Cooperation is always better than confrontation.”

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Main image credit: KPRM (under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 PL)

Agata Pyka

Agata Pyka is an assistant editor at Notes from Poland. She is a journalist and a political communication student at the University of Amsterdam. She specialises in Polish and European politics as well as investigative journalism and has previously written for Euractiv and The European Correspondent.