Which bets stand to gain the most? Details of SAFE are confidential. But… not entirely. Prime Minister Donald Tusk revealed that Huta Stalowa Wola, which produces Krab howitzers, Borsuk infantry fighting vehicle and Rak self-propelled mortars, will benefit from the program. The head of government added that investments in Huta Stalowa Wola alone under SAFE are expected to exceed PLN 20 billion.
HSW is also the most important part of the Polish arms giant PGZ. Other parts of Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa will also almost certainly benefit from SAFE. This includes Mesko, a leading manufacturer of ammunition and rockets. Or the well-known company Jelcz, currently producing vehicles for the army, also part of PGZ.
This city can win on SAFE
The Polish arms industry – quite rightly – is associated primarily with the southern part of the country. HSW – as the name suggests – is located in Stalowa Wola. Mesko's headquarters is in Skarżysko-Kamienna. Many plants are located in the capital, for example PIT—Radwar, dealing with military electronics.
Of course, Silesia is also traditionally strong in the arms industry. Deloitte even forecasts that this region may be a Polish arms hub.
Look: This could be the Polish hub of the defense industry. Experts point to the location
A less obvious point on the Polish armament map is Bydgoszcz. This city may not be so closely associated with this industry, but it has several plants that can greatly benefit from SAFE. For example, the headquarters of the Nitro-Chem company (also part of PGZ), which produces ammunition, is located there. But the Belma electromechanical plant in Bydgoszcz, which produces, for example, tactical heads for drones, may also benefit from the program. There are also Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze No. 2 in Bydgoszcz, which deals primarily with aircraft renovations and modernizations.
Bydgoszcz is also the headquarters of a lesser-known, dynamically operating private company, Teldat, which is, however, very important for our defense. It produces and develops IT systems for the military.
Not only large cities can benefit from the program. Important players in the Polish defense industry also include Maskpol, a manufacturer of protective equipment. The company's headquarters is in the small Silesian village of Konieczki, where only a few hundred people live.
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Polish companies can also use SAFE to conquer other markets. There is something to fight for, because the value of the entire loan package is to be EUR 150 billion. Information from the Defence24 website shows, for example, that the French want to use SAFE to purchase Piorun portable anti-aircraft systems, which are manufactured by Mesko. There may, of course, be many more similar contracts. Our export hits are, after all, WB Group products, such as specialized drones.
Will SAFE go to “American” equipment?
The SAFE program is intended primarily to strengthen the European arms industry. Meanwhile, a large part of our industry is controlled by US companies. For example, the PZL Mielec plant is part of the large US concern Lockheed Martin.
It is no secret that Americans are not SAFE enthusiasts. However, our interlocutors from the defense industry believe that the program is so large that even US companies can benefit from it to some extent – for example through service contracts. It is not the case that SAFE closes the way to purchasing equipment from the United States.
— This is such a gigantic program that virtually every larger company will benefit from it. Also those companies that belong to US corporations – we hear from one of our interlocutors from the industry.
See also: The NATO corps commander says what the wars of the future should look like. “Drones will finally stop dominating”
In total, Poland is to receive EUR 43.7 billion from this program. The Polish list included 139 projects. According to the government's declaration, over 80 percent the money is to be spent in the Polish arms industry.
Author: Mateusz Madejski, journalist of Business Insider Polska
