Poland has agreed with US aerospace giant Boeing to establish a local support base for Warsaw’s incoming fleet of AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters.
Signed with Polish state enterprise Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze Nr 1 (WZL-1) and the Military Central Bureau of Design and Technology (WCBKT) in Łódź, the deal paves the way for building what officials described as a major Apache support hub in Europe.
Under the arrangement, Boeing will provide technical expertise and training to WZL-1 for organizational and intermediate-level maintenance, repair, and overhaul assistance, alongside select depot-level component repairs.
Boeing and WCBKT will also test Polish-made ground support equipment for compatibility with the rotary-wing aircraft.
Once inaugurated, the facility will initially sustain the national fleet before expanding services to foreign Apache operators.
“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 of EICLA & Training Solutions at Boeing Global Services.
Almost 100 Helicopters by End of Decade
The domestic sustainment center directly supports Warsaw’s 2024 contract worth approximately $10 billion for 96 AH-64E Guardians, making the Polish Armed Forces the second-largest international Apache operator in the world after the US military.
Deliveries under that acquisition are scheduled to run from 2028 through 2030.
“For WZL-1, establishing the largest Apache support infrastructure in Europe is both a responsibility and a natural extension of our core business activities,” WZL-1 CEO Jacek Goszczyński commented on the Łódź agreement.
“This agreement will enable us to provide support to the Polish Armed Forces, significantly enhancing their operational capabilities.”