Poland signs $1.4bn contract with US to buy 116 Abrams MBTs

The Polish Ministry of National Defence (MND) has approved a new contract with the US to procure an additional 116 Abrams tanks for the Polish Army.

The estimated value of the contract is approximately $1.4bn. Out of the total value, nearly $200m has been provided by the US, as part of its efforts to grant financial aid to Poland.

Apart from 116 Abrams M1A1 main battle tanks (MBTs), the contract includes the delivery of six M577 command vehicles, 12 M88A2 Hercules technical protection vehicles, and eight M1074 joint assault bridges, along with other accompanying equipment training and logistics packages.

In addition, the contract includes 26 high-mobility, multipurpose wheeled vehicles (HMMWV or Humvee) with a next generation (NG) Shop Equipment Contact Maintenance (SECM) package.

Deliveries under this contract are expected to commence later this year and will continue until 2024.

Once delivered, the new tanks will be assigned under the Polish Army’s 18th Mechanised Division.

This unit was also selected by the Polish MND to receive 250 Abrams MBTs that were ordered by Poland in April 2022 in a $4.75bn deal with the US. The delivery of the tanks under this deal is scheduled to be completed by 2026. 

According to the Polish MND, the procurement of 116 tanks and other equipment is only the initial stage of a wider project that also includes the purchase of modern combat ammunition.

The contract also includes Armor Piercing Composite Rigid (APCR), or multi-purpose programmable ammunition.

Poland Deputy Prime Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said: “We are negotiating the second agreement accompanying this agreement, which concerns the acquisition of ammunition by the Polish Army in large quantities.”