Poland Halts Black Hawk Helicopter Deal

Poland has reportedly cancelled its planned procurement of 32 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters, citing evolving national security needs and changing geopolitical dynamics, the country’s Armament Agency confirmed on Friday.

“Maybe it is necessary to acquire other equipment in its (helicopters’) place such as drones, or tanks, or some kind of communication,” said agency spokesman Grzegorz Polak in an interview with Reuters. He added that current global tensions demanded a strategic realignment of priorities.

The decision brings an end to negotiations started in 2023 under the former Law and Justice (PiS) government, which had aimed to boost the army’s rotary-wing capabilities through the purchase of the helicopters from Lockheed Martin’s Polish subsidiary, PZL Mielec.

Former Defense Minister and PiS lawmaker Mariusz Błaszczak criticized the move as a “disgrace,” warning in a post on X that it would delay replacement of aging helicopter units.

At a press briefing on June 6 in Warsaw, senior defense officials clarified the government’s position, emphasizing that no contract was ever signed and that procurement decisions are based on classified assessments by the Polish military’s General Staff.

The Reuters report said the deal has been postponed, not cancelled. However, a statement from the Polish defense ministry hints at a possible cancellation.

“The procedure was conducted and closed,” said Paweł Bejda, Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defense. “We are cleaning up a certain procurement mess that arose under the previous government. Something that was not signed cannot be torn off.”

General Wiesław Kukuła, Chief of the General Staff, outlined the long-term modernization plan for the Polish Armed Forces, covering 2025–2039. He announced a shift in helicopter acquisition priorities focused on training and combat helicopters, naval multi-role helicopters, heavy transport platforms, and SAR (search and rescue) aircraft. Additional emphasis will be placed on helicopters for special operations forces.

The reorientation follows Poland’s August 2024 agreement with the U.S. to acquire 96 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters to replace its fleet of Soviet-era Mi-24s. The government says the incoming Apaches, along with future F-35 aircraft and Miecznik-class ships, will enhance interoperability with NATO and address new battlefield demands.

The Armament Agency is currently managing over 400 active contracts worth more than PLN 560 billion (nearly $150 billion), according to Bejda. Another 120 procurement procedures are in progress, representing billions more in planned spending—much of which is expected to benefit domestic defense manufacturers.

“Every single zloty of the taxpayer is used responsibly by us,” Bejda said. “We will primarily implement what the army, the General Staff, experts, and specialists tell us.”

Brig. Gen. Artur Kuptel, head of the Armament Agency, reiterated that future decisions on helicopter procurement will align with new strategic directions. “The priorities we have heard about today will give light for the coming days, for the coming months,” he stated.