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World Aviation Defense & Security News - Poland
 
 
Poland's Defense Ministry to purchase two new aircraft for the transport of country's top officials
 
Poland’s Ministry of Defence is set to buy two new planes for top Polish officials, Deputy PM and Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak has announced. The purchase is part of the Polish government’s new plan for strengthening the country’s security.
     
Poland’s Ministry of Defence is set to buy two new planes for top Polish officials, Deputy PM and Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak has announced. The purchase is part of the government’s new plan on strengthening the country’s security. The new aircraft would supplement the mid-range Embraer 170s currently leased from Poland’s national carrier LOT
     
"In executing its programme, the Council of Ministers today accepted plans to bolster national security,” Siemoniak told the PAP news agency on Tuesday, adding that procedures to purchase the two new aircraft are “in motion”. Siemoniak said that the ministry plans on buying two small aircraft which can carry up to 14 passengers and which would have a range of up to 8,000 km if the number of passengers did not exceed eight people. “We want to finalise this purchase next year,” Siemoniak underlined.

Both of the new aircraft would supplement the mid-range Embraer 170s currently leased from Poland’s national carrier LOT. With the lease ending in 2017, Siemoniak said that “we will then decide which steps to take”. However, the two new aircraft bought by the defence ministry would be part of the country’s military fleet and piloted by military personnel.

The move comes as in 2013-2014, Poland’s defence ministry attempted to charter two small aircraft for the transport of the country’s VIPs. However, the first tender was scrapped after being deemed too expensive, while the second tender did not result in success as only two companies filed offers and not three as stipulated in the tender. According to PAP, following the failed tenders the defence ministry decided to purchase its own planes rather than rely on the leasing of aircraft.