Poland urgently needs choppers for special forces - MoD
The Polish Armed Forces most urgently need helicopters for the special forces as well as choppers that are capable of combating threats at sea, deputy Defence Minister Bartosz Kownacki told private Radio Zet and TV channel Polsat News on Sunday.
Kownacki was asked what kind of request for quotation Poland had issued to potential helicopter suppliers after the failed talks on the purchase of French-made Caracal multi-role choppers.
The deputy minister said that "the most urgent issue are helicopters for special forces which must be NATO-certified". "The second group are sea helicopters that we would also like to acquire as soon as possible," Kownacki noted. Sea rescue choppers are yet another type named by the defence official.
"Our basic assumption is that the Military Aviation Works No. 1 in Lodz should have the service capability," Kownacki stressed, adding that this capability would be used "not only for the needs of the Polish army, but other Central European armies as well."
"We want to talk about it. It is added value of the plant as it offers jobs for the next decades," the official argued.
According to Kownacki, Lodz's servicing capacity could be offered to such countries as Slovakia, but also the Czech Republic, Hungary and Lithuania.
Slovakia has chosen Black Hawks, choppers made by US company Sikorski, which owns a plant in the south-Polish city of Mielec. Kownacki argued that "we are conducting talks with Swidnik and we have also invited Airbus". Swidnik is owned by Italy's Leonardo corporation.
"We do not know what helicopter will be selected in other countries," the deputy minister added.
Still, Poland want to ensure the servicing capacity for all potential choppers, according to Kownacki.
Earlier this month Poland withdrew from the purchase of Airbus-made Caracal helicopters on grounds that the French offset offer accompanying the deal was below the expected value and failed to secure Polish economic and security interests.
The helicopter tender was launched in 2012. In April 2015 Caracal producer Airbus Helicopters was qualified as the final bidder over the Polish-based PZL Swidnik and PZL Mielec aviation plants. Offset talks accompanying the purchase launched on September 30, 2015. The contract was worth PLN 13.5 billion. (PAP)
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