Polish Defence Deal

[11:49 AM] user: hey @user2 is there any recent media coverage of the defense sector deals with Poland ?
[11:50 AM] user: because the shit is getting hilarious here
[11:50 AM] user: in a sarcastic/masochistic way
[12:02 PM] user2: I don't follow the media, I don't watch TV :/
[12:02 PM] user2: what happens?
[12:04 PM] user: well the head of polish defense industry is in Paris right now
[12:04 PM] user: apparently everyone forgot that most of the electronics and sensors for infra-red an microwave systems, are imported and made by Safran
[12:05 PM] user: and prices just went up
[12:06 PM] user: just another part of the backlash after breaking the deal with Airbus for the H225Ms
[12:09 PM] user: "breaking" - well nothing was signed just yet, but Airbus was already chosen, and the negotiations were nearly over
[12:21 PM] user: and for those that are not in the loop: the current Polish Minister of Defense was against that deal from the start, and was just looking for reasons to break it, because it was made by former ruling party that is opposing to the current one. He didn't get any reasons, because the deal was ridiculously good... so the ministry of development cut talks with Airbus instead, because "the benefits for Polish industry were inadequate". the very next week both prime minister and minister of defense went into full damage control mode, and visited aviation manufacturing plants in Mielec and Świdnik - first one belongs to Lockheed Martin - Sikorsky, second one to Leonardo (former Agusta Westland), and publicly told that helicopters for polish armed forces will be made by "Polish industry". And the MoD even told that Mielec will supply first two Black Hawk helicopters this year, 8 in the next, and up to 21 Black Hawks will be made, in US standard.
That was in October. Sikorsky can't make a single Black Hawk on shorter notice than 7 months, and Mielec can only make the international variant of S-70, which is very different than the US UH-60... and the UH-60 needs to go through US congress and Foreign Military Sales program...
Lies, Lies everywhere.
And then the French MoD and president chimed in, both canceling their visits in Poland
[12:26 PM] user: Now there is new helicopter deal on the table, again Airbus, Lockheed Martin, Leonardo, and Bell are taking part in it, but because of that fucked up situation, the prices are no longer competitive - because the Italians and Americas know they are being favored, and Airbus is just saying "fuck it, only we can supply you on a short notice"(edited)
[12:28 PM] user: and there are still deals for attack helicopters, submarines and air defense systems - to be made
[12:29 PM] user: it doesn't look pretty
[12:32 PM] user: oh, not to forget that the vice-minister of defense also publicly offended French people(edited)
[12:34 PM] user: it's just a giant train wreck you can't avert your eyes from
[12:39 PM] user3: What is up with politicians acting like absolute toss-pots these days
[12:40 PM] user: they know they can get away with it
[12:47 PM] user: oh, also forgot that in that process it went public how Świdnik-Leonardo is conducting maintenance jobs on the W-3 Sokol platforms. It's their design and manufacture... but they are 2 years behind schedule on maintenance work. So the Leonardo is not so hot right now, plus they don't manufacture in Poland platforms that are mostly needed. Like Maritime helicopters. They were supposed to offer the NH90 platform, but they have no rights to it, and have to offer it together with Airbus. But Leonardo don't want to share their income, and offers only AW149 and AW101. One is too small, the other too expensive
[12:57 PM] user: And the "fun" part is that navy aviation was neglected since the fall of Soviet Union, only few W-3RMs were bought... actually forced down the navy throat. And right now most of the ASW platforms (Mi-14PŁ) are at their end of life date (4 are scrapped this year, 3 more for the next 3 years, one at a time), and the SAR ones (MI-14PŁ/R) go out of service one at a time in 2017 and 2018. Leaving Navy only with 4 unmodified SH-2G (two of which serve as spare parts storage), and 8 SAR W-3s - two of which won;t be able to fly over the sea, because they lack needed equipment (Leonardo cant install it for reasons unknown), and the rest awaits their major maintenance works, and only one helicopter is available at a time.
Polish Navy serve as ONLY Maritime Aviation Search and Rescue asset on polish territorial waters and Polish SAR responsibility region. That's why the first H225Ms were to be supplied next year, according to the original deal.