Poland has halted the procurement process for 32 S-70i Black Hawk utility helicopters from Lockheed Martin, citing a reassessment of defense priorities influenced by geopolitical developments.
Polish Deputy Minister of National Defence Pawel Beja, who explained the decision in a statement Friday, said the conflict in Ukraine and Russia’s expanding military acquisitions have prompted his country’s military leaders and experts to reevaluate equipment needs. “The geopolitical situation, the situation in the east — the war in Ukraine, what Russia is currently buying, equipping its army — is being analyzed by the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces,” he said.
Poland began talks to acquire the helicopters in 2023 from Lockheed subsidiary PZL Mielec, which has a 1,700-strong team that manufactures F-16 fighter jets and Black Hawk helicopters.
According to reports, Lockheed Martin issued an emailed statement Friday stating that it remains committed to its Polish partners.
Poland’s plan to rethink its helicopter program follows Warsaw signing a letter of offer and acceptance in 2024 for 96 Boeing AH-64E Apache helicopters under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program. Later, Poland awarded GE Aerospace a T700 engine supply contract to power its Apache Guardian fleet.
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