Poland’s Defense Ministry issued a statement emphasizing that the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), backed by NATO, is not only beneficial to air defense systems developed by Germany but could also be advantageous to Poland in terms of joint purchases of military equipment, among other things. The announcement came following claims from Poland’s former Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak, saying that the initiative only favors Germany.
The ministry assured that–although Germany has come up with the initiative for a European air defense system–it does not refer only to systems developed by Berlin, and could potentially consolidate purchases of arms parts at more favorable prices and strengthen the interoperability of systems used by allies.Za czasów rządów Prawa i Sprawiedliwości otrzymaliśmy propozycję dołączenia do europejskiej tarczy antyrakietowej, ale wówczas zdecydowany sprzeciw wyrazili żołnierze odpowiedzialni za budowę systemu obrony przeciwlotniczej. Argumenty wojskowych były bardzo proste. Po 1.…
— Mariusz Błaszczak (@mblaszczak) April 17, 2024
“Within the framework of ESSI, cooperation is planned on German (IRIS-T), U.S. (Patriot), and Israeli (Arrow-3) systems, among others, which will operate as part of NATO’s Integrated Air-and-Missile Defense (IAMD). A letter of intent to this effect has so far been signed by 15 countries, and another 21 are in various stages of joining the initiative,” the ministry reported.
At the same time, the MoD stressed that it is analyzing all international initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation in the area of air defense in terms of strengthening the security of Poland and NATO, and it would be unfavorable to reject participation in any such initiative in advance.Informacja MON ws. European Sky Shield Initiative
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) April 17, 2024
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W reakcji na serię wpisów p. posła @mblaszczak w mediach społecznościowych resort obrony informuje, że wbrew przedstawianym tezom p. Błaszczaka inicjatywa ta nie odnosi się jedynie do systemów rozwijanych przez Niemcy, choć… pic.twitter.com/oLz9uZ4znR
European Iron Dome
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Monday after a conversation with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen that Poland wants to participate in the work of building the European Iron Dome.
On Tuesday, the head of government stressed that Poland’s potential participation in the European Sky Shield Initiative is not an alternative to anything, but a complement. He assured that “no one is talking about abandoning the existing programs” and that Poland will continue to develop the Pilica, Narew, and Wisła systems.