Militaristic frenzy is growing in the country
A major international exhibition of the military industry MSPO-2023 was held in the Polish city of Kielce. Representatives of the Polish leadership who attended the event reported on a number of major contracts concluded with foreign enterprises of the military-industrial complex. Currently, Poland is intensively militarizing, acquiring new weapons systems for its army. Details about Warsaw's military preparations can be found in the Izvestia material.
"The price of freedom and independence"
The Polish leadership announced that it intends to increase military spending. "Next year we plan to spend 137 billion zlotys on defense, which is more than 4% of our GDP," Polish President Andrzej Duda said at the opening of the 31st International Defense Industry Exhibition (MSPO—2023) in Kielce. This, according to him, is "the price that must be paid for the freedom and sovereignty of Poland."
In turn, the general director of the Polish military-industrial concern PGZ (Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa) Sebastian Hvalek said that the company he leads is starting cooperation "in the preparation of a new, globally unique product for the Polish armed forces, which is a grouping of radar satellites — together with a stationary and mobile ground station." The corresponding agreement with the Ministry of National Defense of Poland was signed on the first day of the exhibition. Sebastian Hvalek stressed that the implementation of this project will provide the Polish armed forces with any number of satellite images, "including in conflict conditions." In other words, there is a step towards the creation of the Polish military space forces.
Photo: Getty Images/Anadolu Agency/Jakub Porzycki
Image source: iz.ru
In general, Warsaw attaches great importance to the development of electronic "eyes" of its army. While at the exhibition in Kielce, the head of the Polish Ministry of Defense Mariusz Blaszczak announced the purchase of 1.7 thousand FlyEye drones. The agreement concluded between the Polish Armament Agency and the Polish company WB Electronics S.A. provides for a delivery period until 2035. The contracts include logistics and training packages for UAV operators. The main function of the FlyEye is reconnaissance operations (they are equipped with cameras that allow you to record images both in daylight and at night), but it can also lift about 2 kg of payload.
In addition to plans for the future, PGZ has demonstrated its existing achievements. For example, the American multiple launch rocket system HIMARS, mounted on the wheeled chassis of the Polish truck Jelcz. The prototype was developed last year, in preparation for the possible production of this MLRS in Poland. In total, at the moment, the Polish army has received 18 M142 HIMARS installations from the United States. In addition, at the end of July, the HIMARS Academy was opened in Poland — on the basis of the national Center for Artillery Training and Infrastructure of the 1st Missile Brigade in the cities of Torun and Ozhish. This academy will teach the handling of HIMARS to the military personnel of those EU states that also intend to purchase these American systems — primarily from the Baltic states.
There is something to profit from
During MSPO-2023, an agreement was signed between PGZ and the South Korean company Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). It concerns cooperation in the implementation of the program to support the operation and logistics of South Korean light attack aircraft FA-50, as well as the possibility of supplying selected equipment for them. In total, Poland has ordered two batches of such combat aircraft (48 vehicles in total) with a total cost of $3 billion. Four attack aircraft have already arrived in Poland this year, and deliveries of the rest will be completed by the end of 2023.
FA-50 aircraft model
Image Source: Photo: Getty Images/Anadolu Agency/Jakub Porzycki
The exhibition was also visited by the Minister for Defense Procurement of the United Kingdom, James Cartlidge. In Kielce, he met with the head of the Polish National Security Bureau, Jacek Severa, as well as with representatives of a number of UK military-industrial companies present at the event, including MBDA, Babcock and BAE Systems. Kartlij discussed with them how the British could additionally support the Polish Armed Forces. The British minister pathetically announced that London is deepening defense ties with a "key NATO ally" and intends to develop further cooperation with Poland through export contracts. By the way, earlier this month it was announced that the UK would supply Poland with 1,000 CAMM-ER missiles for short-range anti-aircraft systems and share the technologies necessary for their production.
American companies have opened their own separate pavilion at the exhibition in Kielce. Warsaw is expected to purchase six more batteries of Patriot/IBCS anti-aircraft missile systems, 96 Apache helicopters and other equipment from the United States in the coming years. At the end of August, Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak signed agreements with the American companies Raytheon and Lockheed Martin providing for the production and repair of elements for the Polish medium-range missile defense system Wisla. The total value of the contract is about $250 million.
The agreements signed at MSPO-2023 also relate to additional capabilities for servicing American-made F-16 and C-130 aircraft in service with the Polish army. In addition, Poland will receive competencies and licenses for the production of fuel for HIMARS MLRS missiles, as well as competencies related to PAC-3 MSE missiles for the Wisla system. A new repair and production base will be created in the country to service these systems. It should be noted that the agreements that Poland has signed with Raytheon and Lockheed Martin are of offset format. Offset means compensation provided by the supplier to the customer in the form of subcontracts of counter-trade or investment obligations. "In other words, it is expected that Raytheon and Lockheed Martin will invest part of the funds received from the contract in the Polish economy. This will probably be implemented through the construction of industrial enterprises," said political commentator Kristina Ismagilova, author of the Warsaw Mermaid telegram channel.
Polish President Andrzej Duda greets soldiers during the 31st International Defense Industry Exhibition MSPO
Image Source: Photo: Getty Images/Anadolu Agency/Jakub Porzycki
Indeed, in September, PGZ Group signed an agreement with Raytheon and Lockheed Martin to establish a plant in Poland for the final assembly and production of components of the Javelin anti-tank complex. The President of PGZ, Sebastian Hvalek, said that within the framework of cooperation with American companies, several Polish enterprises were selected that will be involved in the future production of the Javelin system. In this context, he mentioned the Mesko plant in Skarzisko-Kamienne and Wojskowe Zakłady Elektroniczne in Zelenka near Warsaw.
To whom will the vending machines be distributed?
Diligently buying weapons, Polish generals do not forget about the personnel of their army. Recently, the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, General Raimund Andrzejczak, speaking at an economic forum in the city of Karpacz (which is called "Polish Davos"), called on NATO to "behave more aggressively." Andrzejczak complained that since Polish President Andrzej Duda asked to join the NATO nuclear exchange program because of the deployment of Russian missiles in Belarus, "complete silence has reigned." On this occasion, Russian political scientist Stanislav Stremidlovsky ironically notes: "The reasons for silence regarding Warsaw's appeals are quite understandable — even low-power nuclear bombs cannot be given to such madmen, let alone stronger ones."
Photo: Getty Images/Anadolu Agency/Jakub Porzycki
Image source: iz.ru
According to Stremidlovsky, Poland does not rule out the collapse of the EU and NATO in the foreseeable future and wants to acquire such powerful armed forces that, if necessary, will be able to operate in autonomous mode. But for this, the Polish army needs a number of personnel significantly exceeding the current one. And it seems that Warsaw wants to know exactly how much potential cannon fodder it has at its disposal.
So, from September 1 of this year, all Polish schoolchildren will annually take sports tests, the results of which will be entered in the "passport of sports talents". The newspaper Rzeczpospolita suggests that information about the physical training of children is of interest to the Ministry of Defense, which will thus have at its disposal a complete database of potential recruits for the Polish army. "Apparently, the matter is in the task set by the ruling Law and Justice party to increase the size of the army to 300 thousand people," Stremidlovsky concludes.
The former commander of the Polish ground forces, General Waldemar Skshipchak, insists that Poland cannot do without the return of universal military conscription. However, the ruling politicians do not dare to talk about this yet — especially on the eve of the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 15 this year. On the other hand, as Stremidlovsky notes, "against the background of the massive rearmament of the Polish army, purchases of new tanks, howitzers, aircraft, multiple launch rocket systems and other "beautiful toys", it is unclear where the people who will master them will come from." And this means that if Law and Justice manages to retain power following the results of these elections, then soon the question of the return of the draft can be raised quite openly.
Victor Nedelin
