Poland signs $2.5 billion air defence deal with United States
WARSAW, Feb 29 (Reuters) - Poland signed an agreement worth more than $2.5 billion with the United States for the delivery of an integrated anti-aircraft and anti-missile defence command system, the defence ministry said on Thursday.
NATO-member Poland is spending around 4% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence this year, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine makes strengthening the armed forces a top priority.
"It is the brain of the air defence that will change the face of the Polish military," Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz told a press conference.
The contract concerns the purchase of an integrated anti-aircraft and anti-missile defence command system, including the necessary command and communication equipment which will be used with Wisla medium-range and Narew short-range air defence systems, the defence ministry said.
It also provides for logistic and technical support and a stock of spare parts.
The IBCS integrated battle command system is made by U.S. weapons maker Northrop Grumman.
Earlier in February Poland's defence ministry and Northrop Grumman signed an offset deal worth about 300 million zlotys ($75.25 million) under the second phase of Poland's medium-range air and missile defence programme.
($1 = 3.9867 zlotys) (Reporting by Pawel Florkiewicz and Karol Badohal, Writing by Alan Charlish' Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
