Poland wants to achieve the status of Europe's largest army. So for this, they want to push for the inclusion of American arms manufacturers in the EU's SAFE defense loan program.
Deputy State Secretary in the Ministry of State Assets Konrad Golota stated this. He noted that we're talking not only about available ready solutions, but also about joint projects and technology transfer.
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In 2026, Poland's defense spending will amount to 4.7% of its GDP, or approximately $55 billion. At the same time, about another 44 billion euros ($51 billion) will be received from the EU within the SAFE program framework.
Defense Express notes that there's nothing surprising in the Poles' desire to involve American defense industry in defense procurement. So, the country bought helicopters, fighters, air defense systems, armored vehicles, and more from the U.S.
At the same time, the EU's Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program allows its use for purchasing weapons manufactured in Europe with a high percentage of localization in the region. Thus, many suppliers from various countries around the world, like South Korea, are left behind.
Therefore, if you want to use the funds, you need to look for European alternatives. And although Poland plans to leave a large percentage to its own industry altogether andeven allocate part to Ukraine, not everything can be obtained in the region.
So, many EU manufacturers have insufficient production rates and large queues, which can be supplemented by excessively high prices. At the same time, there are still no regional analogues to some American weapons, such as Patriot PAC-3 MSE anti-missiles, which remain the only guaranteed means against ballistics in NATO.
It's quite doubtful that the European Commission will allow U.S. involvement in a program aimed primarily at strengthening Europe's defense industry and the region's independence. The new American strategy, which is essentially heading toward hostility between the two shores of the Atlantic, also doesnt help.
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