On September 8, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Mariusz Błaszczak informed via social media that he had sent an inquiry regarding the purchase of Boeing AH-64E Guardian combat helicopters for the needs of the Polish Army.
According to the published information, the Ministry of National Defense sent an inquiry regarding the possibility of purchasing up to 96 helicopters. The potential contract is also to cover the necessary technology transfer. AH-64E Guardian are to replace the currently operated Mil Mi-24D / W in the line, and given their number, it cannot be ruled out that the Ministry of National Defense will abandon the planned program of their modification and extension of operation, wanting to concentrate funds for the purchase and implementation of a new type rotorcraft into the line .
Details, including with a valuation of the package, will most likely be made public by the US Department of State in a few months. What you should pay attention to is the number – if 96 copies are ordered, Poland will become the largest export user of AH-64 helicopters. At the same time, it will be another element of building interoperability with the US military.
At present, as the representatives of the Boeing concern emphasize, there are about 200 AH-64 helicopters in operation in Europe. Their users are the United Kingdom (AH-64E), the Netherlands (AH-64E), Greece (AH-64A / D) and US Army units. According to the declarations, Boeing’s offer for Poland includes the latest AH-64E (v6) configuration, which has extensive capabilities in the field of information exchange, operation of the Longbow radar station and data display. In addition, the Polish AH-64E are to be fully adapted to work with unmanned aerial vehicles.