Poland buys 32 helicopters from Italy's Leonardo

Poland has signed a contract worth 8.25 billion zlotys ($1.83 billion) for the purchase of 32 AW149 helicopters built by the Italian company Leonardo, the Polish defence minister said on July 1.

"The contract... concerns 32 AW149 helicopters, so two squadrons, and the first helicopters will go to the Polish army next year," Mariusz Blaszczak said, Reuters reports.

The helicopters will be built by PZL Swidnik, which belongs to Leonardo.

In the face of the war in Ukraine, Poland is modernizing its armed forces and, from next year, wants to spend over 3% of gross domestic product on defence.