Government approves draft bill for six-year Army modernization program

The Government adopted yesterday a draft bill allocating zl.105 billion for a six-year modernization program that will bring the Polish Army closer to NATO standards. The bill must still pass a vote in Parliament, which is likely to approve it. The program guarantees annual funds for defense at the level of 1.95% of GDP. Under the program, the share of investment expenditure in annual defense spending will increase from 12% this year to about 23% in 2006. In addition, the Army plans extra savings of zl.6 billion by reduction of the number of soldiers from the current level of 190,000 to 150,000 in 2003; about 71 garrisons will be liquidated. The program will permit the upgrading of most of Poland's aging weaponry, but it will not provide the funds needed to replace old MIG fighters with modern Western multipurpose fighters. Financial resources of approximately $3 billion will be required for that, according to Defense Minister Bronislaw Komorowski, as part of a separate modernization program. (Reuters, Gazeta Wyborcza, p.5), MT