As part of a new step toward the incorporation of its future fleet of AH-64E attack helicopters, Poland has confirmed the reception of another two AH-64D variants leased from the U.S. Army, which arrived at the 1st Aviation Brigade of the Polish Land Forces in Inowrocław. In this context, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that the country expects to receive by the end of the year the final two helicopters of this variant covered by the agreement, which were added to facilitate the training of future crews.
Referring to this, the minister stated on social media: “Our agreement with the United States for the lease of a total of eight aircraft is being implemented as planned. Thanks to this, the training of Polish Army soldiers is progressing according to schedule. The use of these aircraft will ensure the proper preparation of pilots and ground personnel to receive the new Apache AH-64E helicopters acquired for the Polish Army.”
It is worth recalling that Warsaw signed the leasing agreement with the U.S. Army on February 27, when Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz formalized the arrival of the eight AH-64D attack helicopters in exchange for an investment of 300 million dollars. From this leased batch, the first three helicopters were delivered to Polish troops in June of this year at the 56th Air Base in Łątkowo.
Furthermore, by mid-year, Poland already had a group of twenty pilots and twenty-two ground technicians trained in the United States by their U.S. Army counterparts. These specialists will now be responsible for passing on their knowledge to future generations of crews trained domestically. By the end of the year, the Polish Army planned to have another twenty pilots and twenty-five technicians trained, while by next year, another fifty pilots and two hundred fifty specialists are expected to be added.
Finally, it is worth noting that Poland is on track to acquire a total of ninety-six new AH-64E helicopters to modernize its Army’s capabilities. These aircraft were purchased from Boeing for approximately 12 billion dollars. The new Guardians are expected to be delivered in batches between 2028 and 2032, with the first batch reportedly consisting of around fifteen units. The agreement also allows the Polish defense industry to participate in maintaining these helicopters, particularly in engine and composite structure work.
*Images used for illustrative purposes.
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