Black Hawks “Postponed in Time.” Armament Agency Explains
Photo. Polish General Command of the Armed Forces [DGRSZ]
The Armament Agency has decided to cancel the procurement procedure for Black Hawk helicopters in the battlefield support variant. In an interview with Defence24.pl, the Agency’s spokesperson, Colonel Grzegorz Polak, explained the reasons for this decision.
The procurement process had been ongoing since 2023, and the information about its cancellation was conveyed to the contractor, PZL Mielec, in May 2025. In the letter, the decision was justified by the fact that a “significant change in circumstances has occurred, making the continuation of the procedure—or the execution of the contract—not in the public interest, which could not have been foreseen earlier.”
In his conversation with Defence24.pl, the spokesperson for the Armament Agency, Colonel Grzegorz Polak, stated that “in the face of a dynamically changing geopolitical situation and evolving threats, it is natural to optimize and adjust procurement priorities to the current needs of the Armed Forces. Within the framework of the Central Material Plans, task reprioritization has taken place. The task of acquiring these 32 helicopters has been postponed in time.”
What does the above mean, in practical terms? The Armament Agency carries out its procurement process based on the Central Material Plans, including the Technical Modernization Plan, which in turn derives from the Armed Forces Development Program. These documents are prepared and updated by the General Staff, which sets the directions for how the capabilities of the Polish Armed Forces are to be built. On the basis of changes to these documents, it was determined that the helicopter purchase must be deferred and the financial resources reallocated.
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From the spokesperson’s words, one can infer that the change in priorities was related to the evolution of the battlefield. In practice, this may mean that the General Staff concluded that, at present—given the development of technology and the combat environment—there are more urgent tasks to be undertaken in the short term than the procurement of these helicopters. It should be added that work is ongoing at the Polish Armed Forces General Staff on the final Armed Forces Development Program and the Technical Modernization Plan for 2025–2039.
Originally, the purchase of Black Hawk helicopters for the Airmobile Forces was to concern armed variants, intended for close cooperation with the AH-64E Apache Guardians being acquired. The Black Hawks were to be prepared both for combat missions and for logistical support for the new attack helicopters.
