Black Hawków and Apache for the army. “Someone should sit for it”

For the purchase of Black Hawk helicopters in the civil version, someone should sit, just like the purchase of three times more Apache helicopters in relation to the expected – says in an interview with Onet a person who knows the backstage of the purchase of Polish helicopters.

Onet on Friday published a text about the backstage of the purchase of Black Hawków and Apache for the army. They are revealed by the interlocutor of the portal, which – as we read – is “an experienced air force officer who performed commanding functions and participated in the organization of many aspects of aviation in the army.” Onet emphasizes that the interlocutor reserves anonymity for fear of retaliation.

As the portal reminds in the article, on June 5, Deputy Minister of Defense Paweł Bejda announced that the Armaments Agency gave up the purchase of another batch of 32 helicopters S-70i Black Hawk from PZL Mielec plants. As we read, the agency explained that there was a “significant change in circumstances”, which meant that the purchase was not in the public interest.

Onet also reminds that the former head of the Ministry of National Defense Antoni Macierewicz “unexpectedly gave up the purchase of French Caracal helicopters and” quickly decided on Black Hawk S -70i “. On October 10, 2016 – as Macierewicz writes – Minister Macierewicz announced his decision while visiting PZL Mielec.

Onet's interlocutor estimates that “Black Hawk S-70i was purchased without a tender, based on an urgent operational need”. He adds that “the problem is that it was a civil machine that did not have systems predestting it to be a military helicopter, multi -purpose.”

Onet's interlocutor admits that he is not surprised by the decision of Deputy Minister Bejda. “Minister Bejda faced the choice. He could continue the program, which is problematic, because first of all it is extremely expensive and, secondly, it is not a combat helicopter, and the purchased helicopters were supposed to go to operational units. He could also give up it, putting it on modern AW -149 multi -purpose helicopters, which just left the drainage board” – he indicates.

According to the portal, the second project, which is widely criticized in the military environment, mainly due to its size, is the purchase of 96 AH-64E Apache helicopters. Onet reminds that the purchase process was initiated by the then defense minister Mariusz Błaszczak in 2022, and finalized in 2024 by the current defense minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and his deputy Paweł Bejda.

“In the case of this type of machine, the purchase amount is only a third of the overall cost in the entire product life cycle,” explains Onet's interlocutor.

“Since Poland has paid $ 10 billion for these 96 helicopters, then to this amount you will still have to add $ 20 billion.

He emphasizes that “we are currently in a situation where the budget will not lift such a large number of these helicopters.” (PAP)

KKR/ JPN/