Polish Defence Modernization: Between strategic intent and spending reality

PT-91 Twadry

Guest article by Dominik Kimla, Ph.D.

The 22nd International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO 2014) was a good opportunity to take a closer look at the ambitious technical modernization program of the Polish Armed Forces. Poland is among the very few European countries that has been increasing its military spending, as part of a shift away from Soviet-era gear and toward modern Western systems. The Polish government’s legal commitment to allocate 1.95% of the previous year’s gross domestic product (GDP) to defence spending, and a growing threat perception from Russia, are strengthening Poland’s political commitment.

Even so, the forecast made by the Polish Ministry of National Defence (MoND) appears to be overly optimistic regarding the availability of funds…

Blue Temple Vipers: Indonesia Adding F-16s

TNI-AU F-16A

Indonesia’s purchases of Russian SU-27SK and SU-30MKK Flanker-family fighters in 2003 and 2007 got a lot of attention. Now, the country is augmenting those high-end fighters with more advanced models of an older aircraft within its fleet: 24 refurbished F-16s from the USAF.

The F-16 has a checkered history in Indonesia’s TNI-AU. The Indonesian military’s widespread murders and abuses in East Timor led to a 1999 US arms embargo, which created severe maintenance problems with its 12 remaining F-16A/B Block 15s, and its 16 remaining F-5E/F fighters. The US embargo lifted in November 2005, as lingering concerns about human rights accountability were trumped by the needs of a global campaign against Islamic terrorism. Which left Indonesia wondering what to do about its fighter fleet, as its economy picked up speed.

Super Hornet Replacement AoA to Start in Early 2015

• USNAVAIR is going to organize a series of technical meetings [FBO] with companies interested in candidate replacements for the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G by 2030. This comes ahead of an Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) scheduled next year.

• According to DPA (via RIA Novosti) India is considering buying 126 Eurofighters from Germany. The two countries, along with Japan and Brazil, have been arguing in favor of reforming the UN’s Security Council for a decade. It’s also always good to have fallback options, but the high complexity and risk of India’s proposed MMRCA program structure mean that it will take far, far more than just a high-level visit to turn Eurofighter into a realistic option. As Der Spiegel notes [in German], this at least gives the Indian press something to speculate about.