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Poland buys early warning planes to ‘protect NATO’s eastern flank’

Poland has signed a contract to buy two Swedish airborne early warning and control Saab 340 AEW-300 planes for approximately $57.81 million, the Polish defense minister said on Tuesday.

“Thanks to this, NATO's eastern flank will be strengthened and Polish airspace will become safer,” Mariusz Błaszczak said on Twitter.

In May, the head of the Polish ministry of defense met with his Swedish counterpart and they held detailed negotiations to obtain the early warning aircraft, state-run news agency PAP reported.

Mariusz Błaszczak emphasized at the time that Polish-Swedish cooperation is vital for ensuring security in the Baltic Sea as both countries “perceived threats from Russia”.

Saab said on Tuesday it received an order from Poland’s Ministry of National Defence for two Saab 340 Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft. These early warning systems comprise the Saab 340 aircraft equipped with Saab’s advanced Erieye radar. The contract also includes ground equipment as well as in-country logistics and support services.

The Swedish airborne early warning and control Saab 340 AEW-300 planes are advanced surveillance aircraft designed to provide crucial airborne surveillance capabilities. These aircraft are equipped with state-of-the-art radar systems, sensors, and communication technologies, enabling them to detect and track airborne and maritime threats over vast distances.

The Saab 340 AEW-300 planes play a vital role in enhancing situational awareness, intelligence gathering, and command and control capabilities for the Swedish Armed Forces. With their ability to monitor and analyze airspace activities, these aircraft contribute significantly to Sweden's national security and defense strategies, making them a valuable asset in safeguarding the country's airspace and territorial integrity.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) think-tank, Poland, which has the biggest domestic arms industry in Central Europe, is using the Ukraine war to pursue a long-held ambition to modernize its armed forces and grow its arms industry, targeting new markets, diversifying product portfolios and finally moving beyond its post-Soviet legacy.

In January 2023 Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced that the course of the war in Ukraine meant Poland needed to “arm ourselves even faster” and pushed the military spending target up to 4 percent of GDP.

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