Poland buys Patriots and French helicopters

According to Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland has decided to buy surface-to-air Patriot missile systems produced by American weapon producer Raytheon. The company announced on its web page on Friday that "it has been awarded a contract worth over $2 billion to deliver the combat-proven Patriot Air and Missile Defense System to an undisclosed international customer." Raytheon will be responsible for delivery of six Patriot missile systems equipped with GEM-T missiles in the next three years, and then, with newer PAC-MSE missiles. The total value of the contract stands at PLN 26 billion. Additionally, the Ministry of Defense has selected French Eurocopter Caracal EC725 manufactured by Airbus to be "further verfied". It means that Poland will probably buy 70 helicopters from the French producer, rather than the British-Italian AgustaWestland AW149 or American Black Hawk S-70i. The Ministry's decision may be seen as controversial, as two Polish entities were involved in the competition: PZL Mielec owned by American Sikorsky and PZL Świdnik owned by AgustaWestland. These two global companies suggested that, in the case of not winning the tender, they will decrease their production level in Poland. Airbus operates PZL Okęcie, an aircraft manufacturing plant and has been speaking of investing in production facilities in Łódź. Poland will spend PLN 35 billion for the army modernization program in the years 2013-2022.