Introduction
On Friday, June 6, a press conference dedicated to the S-70i Black Hawk helicopters was held at the Military Centre for Civic Education in Warsaw. Participating were Paweł Bejda, Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defence, Gen. Wiesław Kukuła, Chief of Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, Maj. Gen. Pilot Cezary Wiśniewski, Deputy Commander General of the Armed Forces, and Brig. Gen. Artur Kuptel, Head of the Armament Agency.
During the press conference, any news regarding the alleged resolution of the contract for the purchase of Sikorsky (Lockheed Martin) S-70i Black Hawk helicopters, information circulated in Poland and fuelled by political opposition, was denied.
The conference participants stressed that the contract for 32 S-70i has been cancelled and postponed for new requirements that have emerged.
New Priorities and Needs
Indeed, after careful analysis, the Ministry of National Defence and the Armed Forces decided to change the priorities concerning the helicopter programs and, therefore, also to amend the priorities in the acquisition of individual platforms.
The aim of these changes is to better adapt to future battlefield challenges, in light of the commissioning of AW149 Tactical Transport and Support Helicopters and the upcoming AH-64E Guardian Apache combat helicopters.
The revised priorities first and foremost involve the acquisition of training and combat helicopters, followed by the line entry of a multi-purpose naval transport helicopter to complement the AW101s intended for ASW and surface combat. Furthermore, the Polish Defense intends to purchase a heavy transport helicopter for the needs of the land forces and the Air Force, as well as new Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopters.
Warsaw’s special forces will benefit from this change of pace. The speakers underlined the need to commission various platforms, designated as multi-purpose helicopter for special operations, light helicopter for special operations, and multi-purpose support helicopter for the needs of the ground forces.
Source and photo credit @Polish Ministry of National Defence
