Polish Defence Ministry puts brakes on US-made Black Hawk helicopter acquisition

Poland’s Ministry of Defence has announced the suspension of a planned purchase of 32 S-70i Black Hawk multirole helicopters, citing evolving strategic priorities and an emphasis on bolstering the country’s domestic defence sector.

The helicopters were to be manufactured at the PZL Mielec facility in southeastern Poland, a plant owned by Lockheed Martin that produces aircraft for both the Polish military and foreign clients. However, Deputy Defence Minister Paweł Bejda confirmed the procurement procedure has now been officially closed, Caliber.Az reports, referring to foreign media.

“A procedure was carried out regarding the Black Hawks, which has now been closed,” Bejda stated. He emphasised that the decision stemmed from a comprehensive reassessment by the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, pilots, and defence experts in light of current regional threats, particularly Russia’s military build-up and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

“The geopolitical situation, the situation in the East, the war in Ukraine, what Russia is currently purchasing to equip its military, as well as all the operations our air forces are conducting as part of NATO’s integrated tasks, are being analysed,” Bejda said.

He stressed that, contrary to media reports, no formal agreement had been signed under the previous administration. “No contract was torn up,” he said. “You cannot cancel what was never signed. We’re simply closing a process in light of new priorities.”

Bejda characterised the move as part of a broader effort to bring order to what he described as the “purchasing chaos” left by the former Law and Justice (PiS) government.

The decision has sparked outrage from the Solidarność trade union representing workers at the PZL Mielec plant. The union accused the government of jeopardising both national security and local industry, echoing concerns raised in a similar episode in 2016, when the PiS government dropped a nearly completed deal to purchase French-made Caracal helicopters.

The Polish Armament Agency officially suspended the Black Hawk tender process in late May, shortly after PZL Mielec submitted its final offer. In a letter to the company, the agency cited a procurement rule allowing cancellation when “a significant change of circumstances makes the contract no longer in the public interest.”

Lieutenant Colonel Grzegorz Polak, spokesperson for the Armament Agency, told local media that “the agency must carry out only those tasks which hold the highest priority at the time.”