Poland and the US want to join forces in the military industry. A senior Pentagon official told the Polish Press Agency that an agreement on this issue would facilitate cooperation between the arms industries of the two states, including export to third countries. The first American HIMARS systems are supposed to defend the Suwałki Gap.
Poland and the US want to export weapons together
Mariusz Błaszczak and Lloyd Austin in the USA. Picture by Ministry of National Defence.
„Later this year, the first HIMARS launchers, ordered in 2019, will be provided to the 18th Mechanized Division, responsible for the defense of the so-called Suwałki Gap,” announced the Minister of National Defense Mariusz Błaszczak during a visit to the United States. He met, among others, with representatives of the Lockheed Martin plant in Camden, Arkansas, where the HIMARS artillery systems are manufactured.
According to the ministry, during the meeting with the heads of Lockheed Martin, the parties also discussed the co-production of HIMARS systems and the production of Javelin guided anti-tank missiles in Poland. The Ministry said also ensured Lockheed Martin was ready to cooperate in this area with the Polish arms industry. „After a conversation with the management of Lockheed Martin, I heard assurances about the readiness to cooperate with the Polish arms industry, about the readiness to strengthen the Polish arms industry, which is also beneficial for the United States, because it will allow increasing the scale of production in terms of the HIMARS. ( … ) Javelins have proven themselves in Ukraine and although the Polish army is already equipped with them, the needs are much greater, as is the interest of countries in Europe,” said the minister.
Polish Press Agency / Ministry Of National Defence / Wojciech Jakóbik
Germany uses Polish oil port and keeps silent about derusifying Schwedt refinery
On 3 May, the working group on the situation of the Schwedt refinery (PCK) met for the fourth time. It confirmed that in May 135,000 tons of oil will reach this plant through the Polish Naftoport plus an additional million tons of oil will arrive from Kazakhstan within a year. Despite access to the oil port in Gdańsk, the German side has still not derusifed the Schwedt refinery.
Brandenburg Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke thanked PCK employees and expressed hope that it will soon be possible to increase the capacity to 70 percent from the current 50 percent. State Secretary for the economy Michael Kellner told reporters at the local newspaper Märkische Oderzeitung that the next meeting of the working group before the summer holidays would possibly receive information on changes in the ownership structure of the refinery.
Schwedt’s problem is that more than 54 percent of its shares are still owned by Russia’s Rosneft. The federal government currently holds a trust over these shares, but no expropriation has taken place, although Germany could legally carry out such expropriation on the grounds of national security. The Polish side declared that there would be no oil supplies through Poland to Schwedt as long as Rosneft owns the plant and demanded derusification. Already in December, the Germans did not take Polish expectations into account, expecting unconditional deliveries through the Naftoport.
Märkische Oderzeitung / Aleksandra Fedorska
Poland reserves the right to sink any ship that threatens the Baltic Pipe and more
After the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, the threat of similar attacks on strategic energy infrastructure in Europe has increased. Poland is preparing legislation to better protect its facilities with the Baltic Pipe on top of the list.
„The government wants to improve its ability to effectively deal with contemporary terrorist threats. It wants to enable the Polish military to respond to threats related to attacks on energy infrastructure, which is located at sea, primarily on the Baltic pipeline, ” the government said in a statement.
The rules proposed by the Ministry of National Defense provide that in the event of a terrorist threat, the Minister of National Defense will be able to issue a decision to sink an enemy ship or a floating object. This solution is provided only for exceptional situations, when there will be no other option to respond. The new rules provide that the necessary measures of direct coercion will be applied in such a way as to: minimize the threat to life or health of bystanders, cause the least possible harm to the persons against whom the measures were used, limit the destruction of the ship or floating object (used as a means to conduct an attack of a terrorist nature), other ships and port infrastructure.
„In the event of a terrorist attack using a foreign civilian aircraft, it will be possible to destroy it. However, this will only be allowed as a last resort where it will be impossible to prevent the attack by other means and there will be no persons on board the aircraft or only persons who intend to use the ship for an attack of a terrorist nature will be on board. The area of conducting anti-terrorist operations at sea will be expanded to the entire Polish maritime areas ,” the ministry’s statement continues. „A permanent base for Border Guard units will be established on the territory of the harbor in Świnoujście. This solution will allow the permanent presence and duty of Border Guard units in the protected area. Currently, the vessels of the Border Guard use the facility under the management of the SAR (Maritime Search and Rescue Service) and the quay located next to it,” the ministry said.
Prime Minister’s Office / Wojciech Jakóbik