Poland buys 800 Hellfire missiles for its attack helicopters from US

Europe, News, US June 1, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

Poland signed a $150 million deal to purchase 800 units of the Hellfire II missiles from the U.S. The missiles would be used by its AW149 attack helicopters. Poland is also seeking to acquire Boeing AH-64E Apache helicopters from the U.S.

The deal was signed between the Armament Agency of Poland’s Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command. Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak tweeted that the weapons would be used by “our AW149 support helicopters, and, eventually, the AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters.”

In March 2023, Poland’s request was approved by the U.S. State Department under the Foreign Military Sales Act. According to the $150 million deal, Warsaw would receive 800 AGM-114R2 Hellfire missiles produced by the U.S. arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin. The deal also includes the provision of training rounds, related equipment, and technical assistance for the weapons. Deliveries are slated to begin this year and stretch through 2029.

The Hellfire missiles would primarily be used by Poland’s AW149 attack helicopters. Poland signed a deal to acquire 32 AW149 helicopters produced by Italy’s Leonardo. Warsaw is also eyeing acquiring AH-64E Apache helicopters soon.

“We have received assurances that the U.S. Army will provide us with Apache helicopters from its own stocks, even before the signing of the contract for the purchase of 96 AH-64 helicopters for the Polish armed forces,” Blaszczak said after his meeting with the U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on May 5, 2023.

“We have an agreement on eight AH-64s. They will arrive in Poland when Polish pilots and technicians have been trained. I will say cautiously that we are unlikely to complete the training this year, but we will start training as soon as possible,” he added.

^{U.S. Army AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters assigned to 1st Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment Attack Reconnaissance Battalion (ARB) in flight over an Alaskan mountain range near Fort Wainwright, Alaska, on June 3, 2019. (Image Credit: CW2 Cameron Roxberry/U.S. Army)}

Boeing says that it has concluded a deal with Warsaw to provide 96 units of AH-64E Apache helicopters, however, due to increased demand and limited manufacturing capabilities, the new units would not be delivered before 2030.

Poland is currently on a shopping spree to fill up its arsenal. Amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Warsaw has ramped up its military procurement while supplying crucial weapons to Ukraine for its defense. The Polish government has raised defense spending to first 3% and then 4% of GDP, the highest relative level for any NATO member state. Poland has also made deals with the United States and South Korea to acquire new tanks, missiles, and fighter jets.

Poland also has been one of the most vocal European countries against the Russian invasion, urging other Western allies to send weapons to Ukraine. Poland was the first country to pledge Leopard-2 tanks to Ukraine. As soon as Germany allowed European states to send German-made tanks to Ukraine, Poland announced the delivery of the tanks.