Polish Defense Minister Włodzimierz Kownacki Kaminski announced today that "the country has signed a contract with Raytheon Polska and PGZ Huta Stalowa Wola to produce 48 M903 launchers as part of the $1.23 billion Patriot air defense system." During a visit to the town of Suchań in central Poland, Kaminski stated that "these launchers... will be produced in Poland."
Defense has become a top priority for Eastern European NATO member countries following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Poland has increased its spending to about four percent of its GDP this year as it seeks to strengthen its armed forces.
The Polish website interia.pl reported that the U.S. military has transferred more than 80 M1A2 Abrams tanks to the Nowy Bądów military base in central Poland. According to information obtained by the site, all these tanks were sent to Poland from U.S. bases in Germany.
Reports also indicate that the U.S. military has relocated approximately 150 Bradley armored personnel carriers and 20 M109 self-propelled guns to the base. Notably, U.S. equipment started arriving at the Nowy Bądów base in April 2023. The site mentioned that these are the latest M1A2 Sep v3 tanks, characterized by an upgraded turret with enhanced armor and more modern electronic systems.
The site confirmed that the tanks at the Nowy Bądów base are owned by the U.S. Army, and the purpose of deploying them there is to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank. It is also known that the Polish Army possesses Abrams tanks.
