Poland strengthens ground strike capabilities with arrival of first US AH-64D attack helicopters
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On June 17, 2025, the Polish Armed Forces formally inducted the first three AH-64D Apache attack helicopters into service, which are now assigned to the 1st Army Aviation Brigade. These helicopters arrived at the 56th Air Base in Latkowo near Inowrocław and are part of a total of eight units leased from the United States. Their primary purpose is to support the training of pilots and maintenance personnel before the delivery of 96 AH-64E Apache helicopters, which Poland ordered from the United States on August 13, 2024, under a government-to-government agreement.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The AH-64D’s arrival marks the beginning of a preparatory phase in which the Polish Land Forces aim to build operational and logistical readiness for the large-scale introduction of the more advanced AH-64E variant, whose deliveries are planned between 2028 and 2032. (Picture source: X/Dowództwo Generalne)
The lease of the AH-64D helicopters is intended as an interim capability to address the immediate need for training. Poland currently has 22 pilots and a slightly larger number of technicians trained on Apache systems. To operate the full fleet of 96 AH-64E helicopters, the Armed Forces will require approximately 400 pilots and over 1,000 ground crew specialists. The limited domestic training infrastructure prompted the inclusion of U.S. instructors as part of the lease agreement. These instructors are currently present in Poland to conduct tactical and operational training. Flight instruction is being carried out in the United States, while instruction in Poland focuses on ground operations and combat procedures. To address the pilot shortfall, the Ministry of National Defence is implementing reforms that will allow non-commissioned officers to be certified for rotary-wing piloting duties.
The acquisition contract for the 96 AH-64E helicopters is valued at approximately 10 billion USD, equivalent to around 40 billion PLN at current exchange rates. This amount covers the procurement of the platforms, logistical support, training packages, and technology transfer. The estimated lifecycle cost of the program is expected to reach 100 billion PLN over 40 years, with annual maintenance costs projected at roughly 2 billion PLN. Poland has no prior experience operating a fleet of this size or complexity in the attack helicopter category. Infrastructure will need to be built or adapted to support maintenance, storage, operational deployment, and training. According to the Ministry of National Defence, this will constitute one of the most technically demanding and financially significant programs ever undertaken by the Polish military.
Operational integration of the AH-64E into the Polish Armed Forces is planned as part of a multi-domain concept that includes other recent acquisitions such as M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tanks and F-35A Lightning II aircraft. The AH-64E version ordered by Poland is equipped with the AN/APG-78 Longbow radar system mounted above the rotor mast, the Target Acquisition and Designation System (TADS), Pilot Night Vision System (PNVS), Link 16 data link, and the ability to communicate with UAVs. The helicopters are capable of engaging both ground and aerial targets, including UAVs. They can carry AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, 70 mm Hydra rockets, and a 30 mm M230 chain gun with 1,200 rounds. The AH-64E also includes enhancements such as composite main rotor blades, improved powerplants (General Electric T700-701D engines rated at 1,994 shp), and a redesigned transmission system. The configuration allows for operation in degraded visual environments and integration into network-centric warfare architectures.
The leased AH-64D Apache helicopters share many physical characteristics with the AH-64E but lack the latter’s avionics and communication upgrades. The D-model is powered by T700-701C engines rated at approximately 1,890 shp and retains the Longbow radar in some variants. It provides sufficient capability for flight and maintenance familiarization. The training concept for Polish crews involves pilot and technician instruction cycles starting with AH-64D familiarization and progressing to full AH-64E operational certification. This approach is intended to reduce future delays in deployment once AH-64E deliveries begin in 2028. As part of the current lease arrangement, all eight AH-64Ds are expected to be delivered and operational within the same unit to streamline instruction and simulate squadron-level deployment patterns.
Offset agreements accompanying the AH-64E procurement total approximately 1 billion PLN and are focused on enhancing domestic sustainment capabilities. Discussions are ongoing between Boeing and Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze No. 1 (WZL-1) in Łódź, a subsidiary of Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), to establish facilities for long-term maintenance and overhaul. These arrangements aim to support the full operating life of the AH-64E fleet within Poland and reduce dependency on foreign support chains. Technology transfer includes diagnostic systems, ground support equipment, and software-related maintenance tools. These provisions are aligned with Poland’s strategic goal of increasing national autonomy in defense logistics and are also expected to contribute to NATO logistics interoperability on the alliance’s eastern flank.
The political rationale for the program is tied to Poland’s geographic position adjacent to the Russian Federation and Belarus. According to the Ministry of National Defence, Poland’s status as a NATO front-line state necessitates rapid acquisition of equipment capable of responding to high-intensity threats. The AH-64E’s ability to operate in contested airspace, coordinate with electronic warfare platforms, and deliver standoff precision strikes is cited as essential for national and allied defense planning. Officials have acknowledged public skepticism regarding the scale of the purchase, particularly in light of the relatively limited use of attack helicopters observed in Ukraine. However, the ministry argues that this is due to the absence of Apache-type platforms in that theater and does not reflect on their combat viability. The stated intent is to integrate Apaches into a combined arms system that includes reconnaissance UAVs, indirect fire assets, and cyber-electromagnetic capabilities.
Statements from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, have emphasized that the Apache program is part of a broader long-term modernization effort. Poland’s defense budget for 2025 is projected to reach 187 billion PLN. Additional proposals include advocating for NATO members to raise collective defense spending targets to 5 percent of GDP, a proposal expected to be presented at the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague. Kosiniak-Kamysz has publicly linked the Apache acquisition to both the reinforcement of national security and the fulfillment of allied obligations. He further indicated that Poland intends to pursue joint ventures with American defense firms for future cooperation, particularly regarding reconstruction and industrial development in Ukraine. This includes offering Polish industrial platforms for collaborative maintenance, modernization, and support roles in regional NATO missions.
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On June 17, 2025, the Polish Armed Forces formally inducted the first three AH-64D Apache attack helicopters into service, which are now assigned to the 1st Army Aviation Brigade. These helicopters arrived at the 56th Air Base in Latkowo near Inowrocław and are part of a total of eight units leased from the United States. Their primary purpose is to support the training of pilots and maintenance personnel before the delivery of 96 AH-64E Apache helicopters, which Poland ordered from the United States on August 13, 2024, under a government-to-government agreement.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The AH-64D’s arrival marks the beginning of a preparatory phase in which the Polish Land Forces aim to build operational and logistical readiness for the large-scale introduction of the more advanced AH-64E variant, whose deliveries are planned between 2028 and 2032. (Picture source: X/Dowództwo Generalne)
The lease of the AH-64D helicopters is intended as an interim capability to address the immediate need for training. Poland currently has 22 pilots and a slightly larger number of technicians trained on Apache systems. To operate the full fleet of 96 AH-64E helicopters, the Armed Forces will require approximately 400 pilots and over 1,000 ground crew specialists. The limited domestic training infrastructure prompted the inclusion of U.S. instructors as part of the lease agreement. These instructors are currently present in Poland to conduct tactical and operational training. Flight instruction is being carried out in the United States, while instruction in Poland focuses on ground operations and combat procedures. To address the pilot shortfall, the Ministry of National Defence is implementing reforms that will allow non-commissioned officers to be certified for rotary-wing piloting duties.
The acquisition contract for the 96 AH-64E helicopters is valued at approximately 10 billion USD, equivalent to around 40 billion PLN at current exchange rates. This amount covers the procurement of the platforms, logistical support, training packages, and technology transfer. The estimated lifecycle cost of the program is expected to reach 100 billion PLN over 40 years, with annual maintenance costs projected at roughly 2 billion PLN. Poland has no prior experience operating a fleet of this size or complexity in the attack helicopter category. Infrastructure will need to be built or adapted to support maintenance, storage, operational deployment, and training. According to the Ministry of National Defence, this will constitute one of the most technically demanding and financially significant programs ever undertaken by the Polish military.
Operational integration of the AH-64E into the Polish Armed Forces is planned as part of a multi-domain concept that includes other recent acquisitions such as M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tanks and F-35A Lightning II aircraft. The AH-64E version ordered by Poland is equipped with the AN/APG-78 Longbow radar system mounted above the rotor mast, the Target Acquisition and Designation System (TADS), Pilot Night Vision System (PNVS), Link 16 data link, and the ability to communicate with UAVs. The helicopters are capable of engaging both ground and aerial targets, including UAVs. They can carry AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, 70 mm Hydra rockets, and a 30 mm M230 chain gun with 1,200 rounds. The AH-64E also includes enhancements such as composite main rotor blades, improved powerplants (General Electric T700-701D engines rated at 1,994 shp), and a redesigned transmission system. The configuration allows for operation in degraded visual environments and integration into network-centric warfare architectures.
The leased AH-64D Apache helicopters share many physical characteristics with the AH-64E but lack the latter’s avionics and communication upgrades. The D-model is powered by T700-701C engines rated at approximately 1,890 shp and retains the Longbow radar in some variants. It provides sufficient capability for flight and maintenance familiarization. The training concept for Polish crews involves pilot and technician instruction cycles starting with AH-64D familiarization and progressing to full AH-64E operational certification. This approach is intended to reduce future delays in deployment once AH-64E deliveries begin in 2028. As part of the current lease arrangement, all eight AH-64Ds are expected to be delivered and operational within the same unit to streamline instruction and simulate squadron-level deployment patterns.
Offset agreements accompanying the AH-64E procurement total approximately 1 billion PLN and are focused on enhancing domestic sustainment capabilities. Discussions are ongoing between Boeing and Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze No. 1 (WZL-1) in Łódź, a subsidiary of Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), to establish facilities for long-term maintenance and overhaul. These arrangements aim to support the full operating life of the AH-64E fleet within Poland and reduce dependency on foreign support chains. Technology transfer includes diagnostic systems, ground support equipment, and software-related maintenance tools. These provisions are aligned with Poland’s strategic goal of increasing national autonomy in defense logistics and are also expected to contribute to NATO logistics interoperability on the alliance’s eastern flank.
The political rationale for the program is tied to Poland’s geographic position adjacent to the Russian Federation and Belarus. According to the Ministry of National Defence, Poland’s status as a NATO front-line state necessitates rapid acquisition of equipment capable of responding to high-intensity threats. The AH-64E’s ability to operate in contested airspace, coordinate with electronic warfare platforms, and deliver standoff precision strikes is cited as essential for national and allied defense planning. Officials have acknowledged public skepticism regarding the scale of the purchase, particularly in light of the relatively limited use of attack helicopters observed in Ukraine. However, the ministry argues that this is due to the absence of Apache-type platforms in that theater and does not reflect on their combat viability. The stated intent is to integrate Apaches into a combined arms system that includes reconnaissance UAVs, indirect fire assets, and cyber-electromagnetic capabilities.
Statements from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, have emphasized that the Apache program is part of a broader long-term modernization effort. Poland’s defense budget for 2025 is projected to reach 187 billion PLN. Additional proposals include advocating for NATO members to raise collective defense spending targets to 5 percent of GDP, a proposal expected to be presented at the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague. Kosiniak-Kamysz has publicly linked the Apache acquisition to both the reinforcement of national security and the fulfillment of allied obligations. He further indicated that Poland intends to pursue joint ventures with American defense firms for future cooperation, particularly regarding reconstruction and industrial development in Ukraine. This includes offering Polish industrial platforms for collaborative maintenance, modernization, and support roles in regional NATO missions.
