The Polish Ministry of National Defense has quietly positioned its military to assume a dominant position within NATO and as the principal foil to any further Russian expansion.
One of the most significant foreign military sales in the history of the United States was finalized in August of this year.
The nearly twelve-billion-dollar sale will send ninety-six Apache attack helicopters to the former Soviet Union satellite and NATO member.
Modernizing Polish Forces: A Necessary Evolution
The Apaches will join a growing number of modernized Black Hawk helicopters and F-16 Vipers to compliment the 5th generation F-35 Lightning II, with F-35 deliveries beginning in 2026.
These aircraft will replace nearly all the vintage Soviet-era platforms Poland has been flying.
The increased spending on Western aircraft is only one part of Poland’s, the world’s twentieth-most powerful military, intent to become Europe’s dominant combined arms forces.
Positioned precariously between Russia and most of Western Europe, Poland has no intention of repeating the past.
Poland’s investment ensures that Russia or any future foes do not threaten their long-term security and economic prosperity.
The Polish Ministry of National Defense has quietly positioned its military to assume a dominant position within NATO and as the principal foil to any further Russian expansion.
One of the most significant foreign military sales in the history of the United States was finalized in August of this year.
The nearly twelve-billion-dollar sale will send ninety-six Apache attack helicopters to the former Soviet Union satellite and NATO member.
Modernizing Polish Forces: A Necessary Evolution
The Apaches will join a growing number of modernized Black Hawk helicopters and F-16 Vipers to compliment the 5th generation F-35 Lightning II, with F-35 deliveries beginning in 2026.
These aircraft will replace nearly all the vintage Soviet-era platforms Poland has been flying.
The increased spending on Western aircraft is only one part of Poland’s, the world’s twentieth-most powerful military, intent to become Europe’s dominant combined arms forces.
Positioned precariously between Russia and most of Western Europe, Poland has no intention of repeating the past.
Poland’s investment ensures that Russia or any future foes do not threaten their long-term security and economic prosperity.
The Role of Ukraine’s Invasion in Accelerating Change
The invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 began a chain reaction of overt and covert military equipment and technology transfers from NATO and other sympathetic countries to Ukraine.
Fewer reactions hit global headlines faster than Poland’s offer to transfer used Polish Mig-29 fighters to Ukraine.
Poland saw this as an opportunity to transfer Russian-built and Polish-flown MiG-29s to Ukraine while pressing the United States for more F-16C and D variants of the Vipers. This was a win-win: Poland has been flying US-built F-16 multipurpose fighters for over twenty years.
Poland is also upgrading its existing F-16 fleet, allowing F-16s and Apaches to operate and communicate jointly in contested environments.
“Today we are making a milestone with regards to equipping the Polish Armed Forces with the most modern AH-64E Apache attack helicopters”
Polish National Defense Minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz – 13 August 2023
The war in Ukraine is the single greatest accelerating factor in this modernization of Polish forces.
Before the Russian invasion, the United States Trade Commission reported that Poland had increased the percentage of its gross domestic product spent on defense.
This spending is expected to exceed $135B USD on modernizing its military between 2020 and 2035.
The war in Ukraine has only highlighted the importance and foresight of this modernization, particularly as Russia has become more unstable.
As Russian military desperation deepens on the front lines in Ukraine, Russia’s continued rhetoric has been matched by their unexpected alliances.
Both North Korea and recently reported Houthi rebels have been lured into fighting for the Russians – a fool’s errand.
The North Korean forces have already suffered significant losses in the Kursk region of Russia. This loss includes one of the three senior North Korean generals who accompanied the ten-thousand-plus North Korean force.
There is little hope that either force will be anything but fodder for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s failed cause. Still, it has raised the military posture of NATO and Poland in particular.
The Tactical Edge: AH-64E Apache Attack Helicopters
Poland’s Boeing AH-64E Apache helicopter purchase is a most tactically savvy move. Nothing strikes fear in the enemy’s hearts and emboldens friendly ground troops like the sound of attack helicopters overhead.
The presence and sounds generated by the Apache are terrifying and are a force multiplier before a single missile is launched or a cannon round fired.
Though the F-16s and future F-35s are undoubtedly critical for defending Polish airspace while providing a deep strike capability, attack helicopters’ tactical and psychological value is unparalleled.
The AH-64E Guardian is an upgraded version of the classic AH-64 Apache series.
Poland’s AH-64E will be engineered to execute a full spectrum of missions while equipped with long-range missiles, advanced survivability equipment, next-generation sensors for targeting and intelligence collection, and communications systems that allow interoperability with other NATO and Polish attack aircraft.
“Air power can either paralyze the enemy’s military action or compel him to devote to the defense of his bases and communications a share of his straitened resources far greater that what we need in the attack.”
Winston Churchill – 1943
Complementing Ground Forces: The Abrams Tanks
The AH-64E variant of the Apache will give the Polish military a tactical advantage against any current enemy and allow coordination between air, sea, and ground units at levels never seen before.
Outside of Apache, modernization also includes new communication systems, radar arrays, and other purpose-built technologies designed to synchronize air and ground efforts while providing commanders with unrivaled situational awareness.
Additionally, the Apache will support ~350 planned US and Polish-built M1 Abrams tanks, with two battalions’ worth of M1 tanks already delivered in 2023.
A Unified NATO Approach
Another advantage will be the interoperability with other Apache-flying NATO partners such as the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Greece.
The same can be said for NATO’s F-16 and F-35 fleets, as the Polish Air Force joins the growing number of NATO partners flying either or both aircraft.
The Future of Polish Military Power
Poland’s proactive modernization and focus on regional security is nothing short of remarkable.
With a refusal to repeat past mistakes or to ignore its neighbors’ bad behavior, Poland is emerging as a mid-century world power. Nothing can replace the courage and commitment required by infantry and other ground units defending and holding physical terrain.
However, having those same forces synchronized with aviation, artillery, and other capabilities has changed the game for Poland.
This modernization is long overdue, and the support of NATO and other allied nations is critical for their continued success.
As the first Polish Apache pilots are trained in the United States, the proud white eagle that adorns the Polish crest flies a bit higher, knowing its shield is strengthened and its talons have been sharpened.
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