Poland is pushing the European arms race to a new level, declaring a clear goal of building “the most modern army in Europe,” through huge defense investments that include 96 Apache attack helicopters, and establishing the largest European center of its kind to service these helicopters, in a project estimated to cost about $10 billion.
According to a report by journalist Eli Leon on the Israeli “Maariv” website, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that his country is in the midst of a process to build “the most modern army in Europe,” stressing that his government does not intend to save on defense spending in light of the security threats facing the country.
Tusk’s statements came during a visit to military aviation factories in the city of Lodz, where new agreements were signed related to the purchase of American Apache combat helicopters.
“We are already building the most modern army in Europe, an army capable of defending our borders. This is invaluable and worth all the money and all the efforts we are making,” Tusk said.
He explained that military investments aim not only to improve Poland’s defense capabilities, but also to strengthen the local defense industry and transfer advanced technologies to the country.
The event was held in Lodz on the occasion of the signing of mutual purchase agreements between Polish military aviation factories and the American company “Boeing”.
Under the agreements, a service center for Apache AH-64E helicopters will be established in the city, which the Polish government says will be the largest of its kind in Europe.
The center will be able to maintain all 96 helicopters that Poland has ordered from the United States, in a deal estimated at about $10 billion.
Tusk noted that within the framework of the project’s implementation, the number of workers in Lodz factories is expected to double.
“The real essence of these major projects is, first and foremost, Poland’s security, the development of the Polish defense industry, as well as achieving a major technological leap,” he said.
He added that the agreement with Boeing also strengthens the existing security alliance between Poland and the United States.
Poland had requested the purchase of 96 Apache helicopters in 2024, in one of the largest arms deals in the country’s history.
The deal would give the Polish army the largest fleet of Apache helicopters in Europe, at a time when the Warsaw government is simultaneously seeking to ensure that a large part of maintenance operations, services, and technological knowledge remain within Poland.
Tusk stressed that the high cost of strengthening military capabilities does not change his government’s priorities, stressing that every zloty, dollar and euro invested in the army aims to ensure Poland’s security in the future.
“We do not spare when it comes to the Polish army and the Polish defense industry,” he said.
Thus, Warsaw is not content with purchasing new weapons to enhance its military capabilities, but is also moving to build an industrial and technological infrastructure capable of supporting it within the country, on a path that places the goal of having “the most modern army in Europe” at the heart of Poland’s defense priorities.
