The United States approved on Monday the sale of 96 Apache attack helicopters to Poland, which has been making significant arms acquisitions since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
As an ally of Washington and a major supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia, Warsaw had requested Apache helicopters from Boeing last year to replace its aging Soviet aircraft. The sale, totaling 12 billion dollars (just over 11 billion euros), “will enhance Poland’s ability to deal with current and future threats by providing a credible force capable of deterring adversaries and participating in NATO operations,” the U.S. State Department wrote when announcing the approved sale and notifying Congress.
Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Poland has served as a logistical platform for the U.S. military, which has delivered vast amounts of weaponry to the Ukrainian army. This sale of 96 Apache helicopters, model AH-64E, brings the United States closer to Poland, even as relations had deteriorated due to the Biden administration’s opposition to the conservative positions of the Polish government on LGBT+ rights and freedom of the press, among others.
Poland is “a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe,” stated the U.S. State Department on Monday.
