Polish army to purchase Black Hawk helicopters?
PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea
10.10.2016 12:56
Polish Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz has said that special forces will receive Black Hawk helicopters this year, suggesting that a deal has been struck for military aircraft.
Foto: pzlmielec.com.pl
The statement on Monday came days after the government broke off negotiations over an offset deal with France’s Airbus Helicopters, which had been one of the conditions for Poland’s purchase of 50 aircraft.
The previous Civic Platform-led government chose to purchase ‘Eurocopter’ EC725 helicopters for a price of PLN 13.5 billion (EUR 3.2 billion) in April 2015, rejecting rival offers from the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation PZL Mielec and Leonardo’s PZL Świdnik, both operating in Poland.
Speaking at a plant operated by PZL Mielec in south-eastern Poland, Macierewicz said that following talks with the company on Monday, "Polish armed forces will be able to train on Polish-built Black Hawk helicopters" over the next couple of months.
“This shows Poland’s potential, and the potential of Mielec, as well as the whole of [Poland's] Aviation Valley,” Macierewicz said.
No details about the value of the deal were immediately available.
(rg)