Boeing signs offset agreements with Polish firms to build in-country sustainment for AH-64E Apache

Boeing has signed offset implementation agreements with two Polish defense industrial companies to support long-term sustainment, maintenance and ground support for Poland’s AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, according to a company announcement issued Monday.

The agreements involve Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze No. 1 S.A. (WZL-1), the Military Central Bureau of Design and Technology S.A. (WCKBT), and Boeing, and they were signed at WZL-1’s facility in Łódź. The ceremony included representatives from Poland’s Ministry of National Defence, the Government of the Republic of Poland, and the Polish Armed Forces.

Under the deals, Boeing will support WZL-1 as it begins undertaking AH-64E support work for the Polish Armed Forces. Boeing’s support role is described as covering maintenance, repair and overhaul activity, including organizational- and intermediate-level inspections and repairs, as well as selected depot-level component repairs.

The announcement also says Boeing and WCBKT will evaluate selected ground support equipment produced by WCBKT for use with the AH-64E Apache helicopter. That effort is positioned as a feasibility assessment of Polish engineering solutions that could play a role in Apache sustainment over time.

Boeing framed the agreements as part of a broader effort to build in-country capabilities that can sustain operational readiness without reliance on external support for every step of maintenance. Boeing said it will leverage sustainment expertise to provide technical insight, resources and training for WZL-1 and WCBKT’s workforce.

“Signing these agreements marks a significant milestone in Boeing's partnership with Poland and demonstrates our enduring commitment to supporting the Polish Armed Forces through robust, in-country sustainment and maintenance capabilities,” said Marc-Olivier Sabourin, Vice-President EICLA & Training Solutions at Boeing Global Services. He added that the companies are building the industrial framework, technical expertise and workforce needed to support Poland’s Apache fleet for decades.

WZL-1’s CEO, Jacek A. Goszczyński, PhD Eng., said the agreement helps establish what Boeing described as the largest Apache support infrastructure in Europe. Goszczyński characterized the move as both a responsibility and an extension of WZL-1’s core business, aimed at enhancing the armed forces’ operational capabilities.

WCBKT’s CEO, Roman Fiszer, PhD Eng., said the offset implementation agreement represents increased participation by Poland’s defense industry in the AH-64E Apache support program. He also described an opportunity for WCBKT to strengthen its position as a national center of expertise in the design, manufacture and servicing of ground support equipment, arguing that Polish-developed equipment could improve logistical support efficiency and help bolster operational independence.

The contract backdrop is Poland’s decision to procure AH-64E Apache helicopters. Boeing said Poland has contracted for 96 AH-64E Apaches, and it linked the offset arrangements to development of domestic maintenance and sustainment capabilities for the program’s implementation. Boeing also noted that Poland will become the world’s second-largest Apache operator after the United States once its AH-64E fleet is fully added, and it said roughly 1,300 Apache helicopters are in operation worldwide.

What remains unclear from Boeing’s announcement is the precise scope of work share between Boeing, WZL-1 and WCKBT, including the timetable for which maintenance tasks will transition to the Polish sites and what portion of depot-level component repair will be handled locally versus elsewhere. The company also did not disclose financial terms of the offset agreements or specific performance targets, such as readiness rates or inspection throughput.

Looking ahead, the practical announcement for Poland will be how quickly WZL-1’s maintenance and overhaul functions ramp up for the AH-64E and how WCKBT’s ground support equipment evaluations turn into fielded tooling and procedures. For Boeing and its customers across NATO and partner air forces, the agreements also offer a template for how offsets are being used to industrialize sustainment rather than simply localize parts of production.