The agreements involve Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze Nr 1, or WZL-1, and the Military Central Bureau of Design and Technology, or WCBKT. They cover aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, ground support equipment, technical training and the transfer of sustainment expertise to the Polish workforce.
Boeing will support WZL-1 as it develops the capability to service AH-64E helicopters for the Polish Armed Forces. The Polish company will perform organisational- and intermediate-level inspections and repairs, along with selected depot-level component repairs.
WZL-1 plans to establish what its chief executive described as the largest Apache support infrastructure in Europe. “For WZL-1, establishing the largest Apache support infrastructure in Europe is both a responsibility and a natural extension of our core business activities. This agreement will enable us to provide support to the Polish Armed Forces, significantly enhancing their operational capabilities,” said Jacek A. Goszczyński, PhD Eng., CEO of Military Aviation Works No. 1 S.A. (WZL-1).
Boeing and WCBKT will separately evaluate selected Polish ground support equipment for potential use with the AH-64E. The assessment will examine whether WCBKT engineering solutions can support the helicopters and determine their possible future role in the Apache sustainment programme.
“Signing these agreements marks a significant milestone in Boeing’s partnership with Poland and demonstrates our enduring commitment to supporting the Polish Armed Forces through robust, in-country sustainment and maintenance capabilities,” said Marc-Olivier Sabourin, Vice-President EICLA & Training Solutions, Boeing Global Services. “Together with WZL-1 and WCKBT, we are building the industrial framework, technical expertise and workforce needed to support Poland’s Apache fleet for decades, while strengthening Poland’s sovereign defense capabilities.”
Boeing will provide technical insight, resources and training to personnel at WZL-1 and WCBKT under the offset agreements. The work is intended to support continued modernisation and operational readiness of Poland’s Apache fleet through domestic industrial capabilities.
“Signing the implementation agreement with Boeing marks a significant step toward increasing the Polish defense industry’s participation in the AH-64E Apache support program,” said Roman Fiszer, PhD Eng., CEO of WCBKT S.A. “For WCBKT S.A., this represents an opportunity to further develop capabilities and strengthen the company’s position as a national center of expertise in the design, manufacture, and servicing of ground support equipment for modern military platforms.”
Poland has contracted for 96 AH-64E helicopters, making domestic sustainment capacity a significant component of the wider acquisition programme. With the new fleet, Poland is set to become the world’s second-largest Apache operator after the United States.
Poland is currently the 19th country operating the Apache, while approximately 1,300 of the helicopters are in service worldwide. Boeing said the platform continues to be adapted for missions including counter-UAS operations and the integration of new technologies.
