2024-03-07 15:15 update: 2024-03-08, 12:37
Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański
Poland has plans to sign more than 150 contracts for military equipment in 2024, a deputy defence minister told parliament on Thursday.
Pawel Bejda told the Sejm, the lower house of parliament, that the procurements would be in line with the findings of an audit conducted by the Defence Ministry.
The deputy minister said that since December 13, 2023, when Poland's new government was sworn in, more than a dozen contracts had been signed to a total value of PLN 30 billion (EUR 6.97 billion). He said in the first month of the new coalition government, eight deals were signed to the tune of PLN 19 billion (EUR 4.41 billion), of which PLN 18 billion (EUR 4.18 billion) went to Polish defence contractors.
"This year, we plan to sign over 150 contracts for the acquisition of various types of military equipment," Bejda told the house. "In first place will be the continuation of programmes for air-defence and anti-missile systems, tank forces, rocket and artillery forces, the Air Force and the Navy."
He added that the priority would be acquiring modern equipment that fulfilled not only contemporary needs but also those of the battlefield of the future.
He said at least 50 percent of all expenditures on defence and army modernisation was planned to go to Polish arms manufacturers. (PAP)
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