Poland asks US for Apache helicopters to pair with its Abrams tanks

WARSAW, Poland — The Polish Ministry of National Defence has sent a letter of request to the United States government to buy 96 Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters for the nation’s armed forces.

Deputy Prime Minister and Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak unveiled the planned purchase following a meeting with his U.S. counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, which took place on Sept. 8 in Ramstein, Germany.

The potential value of the planned copter acquisition and the potential delivery schedule were not disclosed.

The helos “will first be deployed to the 18th Mechanized Division. Not all of them, but the first units. This is because the 18th Division will be equipped with the Abrams tanks. These helicopters work great with Abrams tanks. Together, they constitute an enormous force. A force of resistance, because what we want to use them to deter our opponent,” Błaszczak was quoted in a statement released by the ministry.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in later February, Polish leaders have made plans to spend big on hardening the country’s defenses against a potential attack by Moscow.

In April 2022, Poland signed a deal worth about $4.75 billion to buy 250 M1A2 Abrams SEPv3 from the United States.

Set up in Siedlce, about 91 km (56.5 miles) east of Poland’s capital Warsaw, the 18th Mechanized Division is to become a bulwark against would-be invaders, according to local defense officials.

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