The Polish Ministry of National Defence has now signed a $2.5 billion deal with the United States government to acquire the well sought after Integrated Battle Command System, or IBCS, to synchronise the nation’s air- and missile-defence weapons under development, this is to enhance better military cooperation between the nations amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Details of the agreement
NATO-member Poland is currently spending an approximate 4% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence this year, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine makes strengthening the armed forces a top priority the Eastern European.
The deliveries are scheduled for 2024 to 2031. Poland intends to use the system to operate its Patriot missile launchers, which are part of the Wisla medium-range, air-defence program, and the Narew short-range equivalent, which currently relies on MBDA’s Common Anti-Air Modular Missile, or CAMM.
The acquired systems will be used for 6 Wisla batteries and 23 Narew batteries, the country’s defense ministry said in a statement.
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Poland’s deputy prime minister and national defence minister, signed the contract during an official state ceremony on Feb. 29.
“We will be the second country, after the United States, to have this system, an integrated command system,” he said.
“It is the brain of the air defence that will change the face of the Polish military,” Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz told a press conference.
Kosiniak-Kamysz was sworn in on Dec. 13 as a new Polish cabinet replaced the ousted previous government of the right-wing Law and Justice party.
Poland’s 15, Oct. 2023, parliamentary election paved the way for a change in government and also a change in the foreign policy of the nation, prompting U.S.A-based manufacturer Northrop Grumman to host an event with top executives in Warsaw in November to showcase and advertise the program during the transition.
What will the agreement do to Poland’s sovereign security?
The purchase now secured, it appears that the new defence leadership here will stick to the previous government’s procurement schedule for the key components of the Wisla and Narew programs.
This has many impacts on Poland’s sovereign security. The nation will now have increased protection from the USA against local possible threats.