As Eastern Europe rearms in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Poland is emerging as a regional military powerhouse.
Despite only being a member of NATO since 1999, Poland is spending much more than older alliance members. At 3.9% of GDP, Poland’s 2023 defense budget is almost double the NATO goal of 2% of GDP for each country — a target alliance pillars such as Germany and France have yet to meet.
Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak has said that Poland intends to create “the largest land force in Europe.” This includes doubling the military to 300,000 personnel. Poland currently has a mix of Western and Soviet-era equipment, including 650 tanks, 800 artillery pieces, 94 jet fighters, and 28 attack helicopters, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Poland has sent some of its older hardware to Ukraine, including Soviet-designed MiG-29 fighter jets and T-72 tanks and Polish-built Krab 155-mm self-propelled howitzers.
What is significant isn’t just Poland’s spending spree but also what it is buying.
Warsaw has signed $6 billion in deals to buy 350 M1 Abrams tanks from the US, and the US State Department just approved a $12 billion purchase of 96 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters armed with a variety of weapons, including Hellfire anti-tank missiles, Stinger air-to-air missiles, and the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile. The 96 helicopters would make Poland the largest Apache operator other than the US.
Poland is also spending $10 billion for 18 HIMARS launchers and reportedly plans to acquire up to 500 more launchers. The initial HIMARS systems will come with 45 Army Tactical Missile System long-range rockets that the US has so far declined to give Ukraine.
