The U.S. has signed a $2 billion foreign military financing (FMF) direct loan agreement with Poland to support Poland’s defense modernization, the U.S. Department of State announced on Monday.
“Poland is a stalwart U.S. Ally, and Poland’s security is vital to the collective defense of NATO’s Eastern Flank,” wrote the U.S. Department of State announcing the decision on its portal on Monday.
“In addition to its central support role in facilitating international assistance to neighboring Ukraine, Poland has demonstrated its ironclad commitment to strengthening regional security through its robust investments in defense spending,” the State Department added.
Meanwhile, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak signed off on the offset of the purchase of 96 Apache attack helicopters at the Boeing headquarters in Mesa, U.S.
The AH-64E Apache helicopters are one of the most modern helicopters in the world used by the U.S., British and Dutch armies as well as those of Greece and some Middle Eastern states.
The offset is a form of compensation for Polish industry when a purchase is made abroad. Offset agreements usually ensure that at least a part of the order is actually carried out on Polish territory with the involvement of Polish firms. These agreements also attempt to ensure that the purchasing country develops its capacity to maintain the equipment.
Poland has recently been strengthening its armed forces by means of purchasing modern weapons, mainly from the U.S. and South Korea, in response to increased threats from Moscow after Russia invaded Ukraine, which started the biggest military conflict in Europe since World War II.
