The US administration is ready to deepen defence industrial ties with Warsaw around the Abrams programme, with Poland emerging as a potential buyer of up to 300 additional tanks. New maintenance and engine-service facilities are also in the pipeline.
According to Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, the Americans want Polish companies to play a larger role in the production of components for Abrams tanks and accompanying vehicles. Eight domestic firms currently manufacture 52 elements used in the production of these machines, and this number is expected to grow in the coming years.
The expansion comes as Poland continues to receive the largest fleet of Abrams tanks in Europe. By the end of 2024, the Polish military had taken delivery of 116 M1A1 tanks, while deliveries of 250 M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams under a separate contract are scheduled to be completed in 2026.
Industrial hubs in Poznań and Dęblin
One of the tangible results of closer cooperation is the Regional Competence Centre already operating in Poznań. The modern facility covers roughly 20,000 square metres and is equipped with four cranes with a lifting capacity of up to 50 tonnes, making it suitable for servicing heavy military equipment.
Another major project is planned in Dęblin, where an AGT1500 engine service centre will be established. The AGT1500 is the powerplant used in Abrams tanks, and once operational, Poland will be the only country in Europe with a centre offering full servicing for these engines.
The agreement to build the Dęblin centre was signed on 18 May by Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze nr 1 and US company Honeywell.
Why Washington is betting on Poland
The scale of Poland’s armoured modernisation is the decisive factor, according to DGP. Scenarios for buying as many as one thousand tanks are still being considered, making Poland one of the most important markets for the American defence industry. Mariusz Cielma, editor-in-chief of Nowa Technika Wojskowa, was quoted by DGP as saying that the planned scale of armoured purchases makes Poland an exceptionally attractive partner for the US, and that the Americans are counting on signing another contract for 300 Abrams tanks.
Polish-American defence cooperation goes beyond the Abrams programme. Poland has also received preliminary approval from the US State Department for transferring part of the production of PAC-3 missiles, used by Patriot air defence systems, to the country.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. Karolis Kavolelis / Shutterstock
