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Miami Herald
a day ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
NATO Ally Scraps Purchase of US Black Hawk Helicopters
Poland has scrapped plans to buy more S-70i Black Hawk helicopters as Warsaw rethinks its strategy for fighting a battle-hardened Russia pouring massive investment into its military. Poland has become a military powerhouse, leading the NATO alliance on defense spending. The country, which is situated on NATO's eastern flank, has felt the reverberations of more than three years of war in Ukraine, repeatedly scrambling fighter jets in response to intensive Russian airstrikes on parts of western Ukraine. Warsaw has been one of Kyiv's most strident supporters. NATO officials, particularly those from country's forming NATO's eastern edge, have increasingly warned Moscow could mount an attack against the alliance in the coming years, particularly if the U.S. succeeds in brokering a ceasefire in Ukraine. The Polish military changed its "priorities" for its upcoming purchases after "intensive" analysis, said General Wiesław Kukuła, the Chief of the General Staff for the Polish armed forces. "The aim of these changes is to better adapt to the challenges of the future battlefield," Kukuła told reporters on Friday. Warsaw will prioritize training and combat helicopters, as well as multi-use helicopters able to land on ships, heavy transport helicopters for the country's land forces and search and rescue aircraft, Kukuła added. Poland may look at buying other equipment, like drones or tanks, rather than the S-70i multirole helicopter, Grzegorz Polak, a spokesperson for the Polish Armament Agency, told Reuters. The war in Ukraine has spurred on drone advancement at astonishing speeds, while both sides have still relied heavily on the use of tanks and armored vehicles. Poland's previous government said in mid-2023 it was starting the process to buy more Black Hawk helicopters from PZL Mielec, a Polish branch of Lockheed Martin. Secretary of State for Poland's Ministry of National Defense Paweł Bejda said reports that a contract for the Black Hawk helicopters had been "canceled" were false, but the country's Armament Agency had decided to "terminate the procurement process." Kukuła pointed on Friday to the Polish purchase of 32 next-generation F-35 fighter jets and tens of advanced Apache helicopters that would soon "land on Polish soil" as part of preparations for the "future battlefield." Paweł Bejda, Secretary of State for Poland's Ministry of National Defense, said during a press conference on Friday: "The geopolitical situation, the situation in the east—the war in Ukraine, what Russia is currently buying, equipping its army—and everything that our air forces are carrying out during tasks connected to the NATO system, is being analyzed." Brigadier General Artur Kuptel, the head of Poland's Armaments Agency, told the media: "The priorities we have heard about today will give light for the coming days, for the coming months, in terms of the directions of activities in the area of helicopter aviation." Poland ordered nearly 100 AH-64E advanced Apache helicopters from Boeing in mid-2024, which the aerospace giant said would "strengthen Poland's operational capability and interoperability with the U.S., NATO and allied nations." Warsaw is expected to receive its first F-35 fifth-generation fighter jets from the U.S. next year. Related Articles Poland Election: Ukraine Skeptic Candidate Swings Surprise VictoryDonald Trump-Backed Candidate Wins Poland's Presidential ElectionMap Shows Countries in Europe Easiest for Americans to Get Dual CitizenshipNATO Scrambles Fighter Jets After Long-Range Russian Missile Strikes 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
NATO Ally Scraps Purchase of US Black Hawk Helicopters
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Poland has scrapped plans to buy more S-70i Black Hawk helicopters as Warsaw rethinks its strategy for fighting a battle-hardened Russia pouring massive investment into its military. Why It Matters Poland has become a military powerhouse, leading the NATO alliance on defense spending. The country, which is situated on NATO's eastern flank, has felt the reverberations of more than three years of war in Ukraine, repeatedly scrambling fighter jets in response to intensive Russian airstrikes on parts of western Ukraine. Warsaw has been one of Kyiv's most strident supporters. NATO officials, particularly those from country's forming NATO's eastern edge, have increasingly warned Moscow could mount an attack against the alliance in the coming years, particularly if the U.S. succeeds in brokering a ceasefire in Ukraine. What To Know The Polish military changed its "priorities" for its upcoming purchases after "intensive" analysis, said General Wiesław Kukuła, the Chief of the General Staff for the Polish armed forces. U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters support soldiers during the NATO Noble Jump exercise on a training range near Swietoszow Zagan in Poland on June 18, 2015. U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters support soldiers during the NATO Noble Jump exercise on a training range near Swietoszow Zagan in Poland on June 18, 2015. AP Photo/Alik Keplicz, file "The aim of these changes is to better adapt to the challenges of the future battlefield," Kukuła told reporters on Friday. Warsaw will prioritize training and combat helicopters, as well as multi-use helicopters able to land on ships, heavy transport helicopters for the country's land forces and search and rescue aircraft, Kukuła added. Poland may look at buying other equipment, like drones or tanks, rather than the S-70i multirole helicopter, Grzegorz Polak, a spokesperson for the Polish Armament Agency, told Reuters. The war in Ukraine has spurred on drone advancement at astonishing speeds, while both sides have still relied heavily on the use of tanks and armored vehicles. Poland's previous government said in mid-2023 it was starting the process to buy more Black Hawk helicopters from PZL Mielec, a Polish branch of Lockheed Martin. Secretary of State for Poland's Ministry of National Defense Paweł Bejda said reports that a contract for the Black Hawk helicopters had been "canceled" were false, but the country's Armament Agency had decided to "terminate the procurement process." Kukuła pointed on Friday to the Polish purchase of 32 next-generation F-35 fighter jets and tens of advanced Apache helicopters that would soon "land on Polish soil" as part of preparations for the "future battlefield." What People Are Saying Paweł Bejda, Secretary of State for Poland's Ministry of National Defense, said during a press conference on Friday: "The geopolitical situation, the situation in the east—the war in Ukraine, what Russia is currently buying, equipping its army—and everything that our air forces are carrying out during tasks connected to the NATO system, is being analyzed." Brigadier General Artur Kuptel, the head of Poland's Armaments Agency, told the media: "The priorities we have heard about today will give light for the coming days, for the coming months, in terms of the directions of activities in the area of helicopter aviation." What Happens Next Poland ordered nearly 100 AH-64E advanced Apache helicopters from Boeing in mid-2024, which the aerospace giant said would "strengthen Poland's operational capability and interoperability with the U.S., NATO and allied nations." Warsaw is expected to receive its first F-35 fifth-generation fighter jets from the U.S. next year.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
A NATO member U-turned on buying Black Hawks, suggesting Russia's war shows they aren't the best weapons to focus on
NATO member Poland has put on hold plans to buy 32 Black Hawk helicopters. It suggested that Russia's invasion of Ukraine shows they're not the right weapon to focus on. It's not abandoned helicopters, but they have proven vulnerable in Ukraine. NATO member Poland has postponed its purchase of 32 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters, with military officials there suggesting the way Russia is fighting in Ukraine shows they're not the right equipment for it to focus on. General Wieslaw Kukula, the Polish armed forces chief of staff, said at a Friday press conference that "we have decided to change the priorities of the helicopter programs" in order to "better adapt to the challenges of future warfare," Reuters reported. Poland's deputy defense minister, Pawel Bejda, said on X that his country's military, pilots, and experts were analyzing the geopolitical situation, as well as "the war in Ukraine" and what Russia is buying and equipping its military with. Poland shares a land border with Ukraine. Grzegorz Polak, a spokesman for Poland's Armament Agency, which buys equipment for its military, told Reuters that its priorities needed "some correction" and that it might be necessary to buy other equipment instead of the helicopters, "such as drones, or tanks, or some kind of communication." He also told Polish outlet Defence24 that the armed force's priorities have changed amid evolving threats. Poland, like other European countries, has warned that Russia could attack elsewhere on the continent. Its prime minister, Donald Tusk, warned in March that Russia's big military investments suggest it's readying for a conflict with someone bigger than Ukraine in the next three to four years. Poland is already the highest spender on defense in NATO, as a proportion of its GDP, and has been a major ally of Ukraine throughout the invasion. Helicopters have played a role in Russia's invasion, with both sides using them to counter drones, offer air support, and launch attacks. They were particularly effective for Ukraine against Russia's attempts to seize a key airfield shortly after the invasion began in February 2022, and for Russia during Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive. But they have also proved vulnerable. The proliferation of air defenses has meant that they, like other aircraft, have had to hang back from frontline fighting more than in past conflicts, making them far less useful. Ukraine's success at taking down Russia's Ka-52 helicopters in 2023 meant Russia started using them less. Many were hit by US-provided M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS. Reports suggest that Russia lost more than 100 helicopters in the first two years of the war. Ukraine has also destroyed some Russian helicopters at bases far from the front lines. Even so, losses could have been higher. Mark Hertling, a former commander of United States Army Europe, told BI in January that Russia has been "very poor" in the way it used helicopters and other air assets, but also that Ukraine's air-defense shortages have protected them. Andrew Curtis, an independent defence and security researcher who spent 35 years as a UK Royal Air Force officer, told BI last year that one lesson Western countries could take from the war is "about the vulnerability of helicopters in the modern battlefield where hiding and seeking is not a child's game, it's a matter of life and death." The S-70i is a variant of the UH-60 Black Hawk made by PZL Mielec, a Polish company owned by the US's Lockheed Martin. Poland's plan to buy them began in 2023, under a previous government. The aim was for the helicopters to be used for combat and logistics, and to work with AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters ordered from the US. Bejda, the deputy defense minister, said the latest move did not involve terminating a contract, as one was never signed. But it has still led to some domestic issues. Mariusz Blaszczak, Poland's former defense minister, described the decision as a disgrace in a post on X, saying it would lead to job losses, delays in replacing the country's helicopter fleet, and a loss of interoperability because Poland's military already uses some Black Hawks. The postponement comes after Poland spent years investing in helicopter technology, including ordering 96 Apache Guardians in a deal signed last year, and 32 Leonardo AW149s in a deal signed in 2022. Bejda said Poland would still prioritize some helicopters, including training and combat helicopters, a heavy transport helicopter, and search and rescue helicopters. But the government, which took office at the end of 2023, clearly views increasing the fleet as less important than investing in other military assets. The war in Ukraine has led Western countries to boost their own defense spending and to change their priorities, including through buying more air defenses and drones, investing more in tanks, and even bringing back old types of training like trench warfare. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Insider
A NATO member U-turned on buying Black Hawks, suggesting Russia's war shows they aren't the best weapons to focus on
NATO member Poland has postponed its purchase of 32 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters, with military officials there suggesting the way Russia is fighting in Ukraine shows they're not the right equipment for it to focus on. General Wieslaw Kukula, the Polish armed forces chief of staff, said at a Friday press conference that "we have decided to change the priorities of the helicopter programs" in order to "better adapt to the challenges of future warfare," Reuters reported. Poland's deputy defense minister, Pawel Bejda, said on X that his country's military, pilots, and experts were analyzing the geopolitical situation, as well as "the war in Ukraine" and what Russia is buying and equipping its military with. Poland shares a land border with Ukraine. Grzegorz Polak, a spokesman for Poland's Armament Agency, which buys equipment for its military, told Reuters that its priorities needed "some correction" and that it might be necessary to buy other equipment instead of the helicopters, "such as drones, or tanks, or some kind of communication." He also told Polish outlet Defence24 that the armed force's priorities have changed amid evolving threats. Poland, like other European countries, has warned that Russia could attack elsewhere on the continent. Its prime minister, Donald Tusk, warned in March that Russia's big military investments suggest it's readying for a conflict with someone bigger than Ukraine in the next three to four years. Poland is already the highest spender on defense in NATO, as a proportion of its GDP, and has been a major ally of Ukraine throughout the invasion. Helicopters over Ukraine Helicopters have played a role in Russia's invasion, with both sides using them to counter drones, offer air support, and launch attacks. They were particularly effective for Ukraine against Russia's attempts to seize a key airfield shortly after the invasion began in February 2022, and for Russia during Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive. But they have also proved vulnerable. The proliferation of air defenses has meant that they, like other aircraft, have had to hang back from frontline fighting more than in past conflicts, making them far less useful. Ukraine's success at taking down Russia's Ka-52 helicopters in 2023 meant Russia started using them less. Many were hit by US-provided M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS. Reports suggest that Russia lost more than 100 helicopters in the first two years of the war. Ukraine has also destroyed some Russian helicopters at bases far from the front lines. Even so, losses could have been higher. Mark Hertling, a former commander of United States Army Europe, told BI in January that Russia has been "very poor" in the way it used helicopters and other air assets, but also that Ukraine's air-defense shortages have protected them. Andrew Curtis, an independent defence and security researcher who spent 35 years as a UK Royal Air Force officer, told BI last year that one lesson Western countries could take from the war is "about the vulnerability of helicopters in the modern battlefield where hiding and seeking is not a child's game, it's a matter of life and death." A helicopter strategy The S-70i is a variant of the UH-60 Black Hawk made by PZL Mielec, a Polish company owned by the US's Lockheed Martin. Poland's plan to buy them began in 2023, under a previous government. The aim was for the helicopters to be used for combat and logistics, and to work with AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters ordered from the US. Bejda, the deputy defense minister, said the latest move did not involve terminating a contract, as one was never signed. But it has still led to some domestic issues. Mariusz Blaszczak, Poland's former defense minister, described the decision as a disgrace in a post on X, saying it would lead to job losses, delays in replacing the country's helicopter fleet, and a loss of interoperability because Poland's military already uses some Black Hawks. The postponement comes after Poland spent years investing in helicopter technology, including ordering 96 Apache Guardians in a deal signed last year, and 32 Leonardo AW149s in a deal signed in 2022. Bejda said Poland would still prioritize some helicopters, including training and combat helicopters, a heavy transport helicopter, and search and rescue helicopters. But the government, which took office at the end of 2023, clearly views increasing the fleet as less important than investing in other military assets. The war in Ukraine has led Western countries to boost their own defense spending and to change their priorities, including through buying more air defenses and drones, investing more in tanks, and even bringing back old types of training like trench warfare.
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Poland postpones acquisition of 32 Black Hawk helicopters
WARSAW - Poland has postponed the purchase of 32 more U.S. Lockheed Martin S-70i Black Hawk helicopters for its army, the Polish Ministry of Defence said on Friday, referring to a shift in priorities. Poland launched negotiations for the acquisition of the helicopters produced by Lockheed Martin's Polish arm PZL Mielec, in 2023 under the previous Law and Justice (PiS) government. "We have decided to change the priorities of the helicopter programs... to better adapt to the challenges of future warfare," armed forces chief of staff General Wieslaw Kukula told a press conference. The Polish military aims to prioritise the acquisition of training and combat helicopters, a versatile naval carrier helicopter, and a heavy transport helicopter, Kukula said. Earlier Polish media reported the acquisition process for the Black Hawks was cancelled. Lockheed Martin said in an email on Friday, that it looks forward to continuing its long-standing partnership with Poland where 1,700 PZL Mielec employees are involved in the manufacture of F-16 fighters and Black Hawks. Grzegorz Polak, a spokesman for Poland's Armament Agency which buys equipment for the army, told Reuters on Friday that "some correction" was needed regarding priorities in light of the geopolitical situation and state security interests. "Maybe it is necessary to acquire other equipment in its (helicopters') place such as drones, or tanks, or some kind of communication," he said, adding it was not the agency that set procurement priorities. PiS lawmaker Mariusz Blaszczak, who was defence minister in the previous government, labelled the decision to suspend the purchase of the Black Hawks a "disgrace" in a post on X, saying it would slow down the replacement of the helicopter fleet. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
