Defense Minister announces plans to purchase military equipment, aircraft

Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski plans to sign contracts worth an estimated zl. 10 billion to zl. 20 billion for the purchase of armor and military equipment over the next year. This amount will include a contract for 60 airplanes estimated at about zl. 12 billion to zl. 14 billion. According to Minister Szmajdzinski, fulfilling the obligation to NATO to have 16 new multi-purpose fighters in Poland by January 2003 is not very likely. However, he hopes that the tender for a multi-purpose fighter will be settled by August 15, 2002. Szmajdzinski also said that the Czech and Hungarian decision to purchase Swedish Jas-39 Gripen fighters should motivate the French and American participants of the Polish tender to propose more favorable offers and technology transfer in exchange for the contract. France has on offer their Mirage 2000 and the U.S. has the F-16. Other military orders will include zl. 1 billion for the purchase of armored transport vehicles and a similar amount of money for the purchase of anti-armor missiles. The contracts are to be paid over 10 years or possibly more. Next year's defense budget will amount to zl. 15.2 billion. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 4, Prawo i Gospodarka, pp. 1,3) M.T.