{"id":67650,"date":"2024-09-02T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-02T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2024\/09\/02\/polish-defense-show-lures-global-players-amid-record-spending-spree\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T01:08:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:08:46","slug":"polish-defense-show-lures-global-players-amid-record-spending-spree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2024\/09\/02\/polish-defense-show-lures-global-players-amid-record-spending-spree\/","title":{"rendered":"Polish defense show lures global players amid record spending spree"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WARSAW, Poland \u2014 Last October\u2019s general election triggered a change in government in Poland, but it has not dented Warsaw\u2019s appetite for new weapons. As Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine continues to drive Poland\u2019s military modernization efforts, domestic and foreign defense companies are gearing to promote their products at the upcoming MSPO show in Kielce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past years, the event, scheduled to run between Sept. 3 and 6, has established itself as a leading trade show in the region. Since February 2022, when the Russian military launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, allies along NATO\u2019s eastern flank have replied by boosting their defense budgets. Poland has led the way, aiming to spend about PLN 160 billion (US$41.5 billion), or some 4.2 percent of the country\u2019s GDP, on its armed forces this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking on Aug. 15 at a military parade in Warsaw, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said his centrist government\u2019s goal is to develop \u201cone of the largest European militaries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe must promise today to our compatriots, but also to the soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces, that we will build a most modern military \u2026 because today, innovation is power,\u201d Tusk said during the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The nation\u2019s record-high 2024 military expenditure is to be financed from the ministry\u2019s budget, but also from the Armed Forces Support Fund, a financial instrument designed to fund purchases of new weapons and gear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2025, Poland could further expand its defense budget which, if Warsaw spends the earmarked funds this year, could place Poland this year above all other NATO member states in terms of spending as a share of GDP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a July 4 statement, which made a thinly veiled reference to an increasingly belligerent Russia, the Polish Ministry of Defence said: \u201cNext year, we plan to increase the budget for the military by 10 percent, which is an element of a long-term national security strategy, aiming to strengthen our armed forces in the face of the current geopolitical challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tomasz Smura, the program director and management board member at the Warsaw-based Casimir Pulaski Foundation, told Defense News the government is continuing a number of programs launched by the previous administration, buying gear from U.S. and South Korean companies. However, there is also a noticeable intensification in activities by European groups who hope the change in power could pave the way for more contracts, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSince the change in government, Poland\u2019s relations with Germany and France have noticeably improved, so it is natural that defense companies from these countries are demonstrating an increased interest in cooperating with Poland\u2019s defense industry on joint projects,\u201d Smura said. \u201cWarsaw is planning to buy new submarines, fighter jets, but also various vehicles for the Polish land forces. This brings a number of opportunities for foreign manufacturers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ministry is preparing to launch a number of acquisitions for the country\u2019s air, naval, and land forces. Some of the potential purchases include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n