GE Aerospace, Poland sign offset agreement ahead of Poland’s acquisition of AH-64E Apache helicopters

GE Aerospace and the Polish Ministry of National Defence have finalized an agreement to support the expected acquisition of 96 Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopters powered by GE Aerospace’s T700 engines.

According to the agreement, Military Aviation Works (Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze NR 1 S.A. or WZL-1) in Dęblin will provide licensed maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) support for the T700/CT7 engines used in the Apache, Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk, and Leonardo AW149 and AW101 helicopters that are part of the Polish Armed Forces aircraft fleet.

The Military University of Technology in Warsaw (Wojskowa Akademia Techniczna or WAT) will be responsible for managing the training, including T700/CT7 engine training, for Polish technicians, military personnel, and WZL-1 employees. The training aims to prepare the support staff for the helicopter fleet in the Polish Armed Forces and to train future engineering personnel for the Polish Armed Forces.

The agreement will help sustain high-value jobs in Poland and will also introduce new areas of engine maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) technology. It will provide training and technical assistance for the defense industrial base, enabling Polish industry to support the Polish Armed Forces in maintaining the Apache fleet.

With these partnerships, the Polish Ministry of National Defence will have a complete engine depot and engine training capabilities within the country. These capabilities will ensure that the Polish Ministry of National Defense has a secure supply for all platforms powered by the T700/CT7 engine line. The agreement also sets the stage for future partnerships in Poland concerning GE Aerospace’s combat engines such as F110, F414, and F404, where relationships with the Polish defense industries will be crucial.

“These collaborations with WZL-1 and WAT will be the key to ensuring Poland has the right capabilities and resources to support Poland’s growing fleet of GE Aerospace’s T700/CT7 engines,” said Rita Flaherty, vice president, Global Sales & Business Development at GE Aerospace.

“WZL-1 has significant expertise in engine MRO services, and WAT is known for its sophisticated military training and producing well qualified technicians who will work on these engines for decades to come. Both partners perfectly complement the Polish Armed Forces’ requirement for in-country capabilities, and GE Aerospace looks forward to working with these Polish companies as they support the T700/CT7 family of engines.”

Today, the T700/CT7 family of turboshaft and turboprop engines power 15 types of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft with more than 130 customers in more than 50 countries. The T700/CT7 family has surpassed 25,000 engines delivered and more than 130 million total flight hours.

The T700/CT7 engine has a widespread presence throughout Europe and the world. In Europe alone, more than 1,300 T700/CT7 engines have been delivered or are on order for 20 European military and para-military customers, marking the T700/CT7 as the engine of choice for medium-sized helicopter operators and enabling interoperability and collaboration between these customers.

The T700/CT7 design has proven itself in the harshest environments, logging millions of flight hours in hot-harsh combat zones like Iraq and Afghanistan. The engine family also powers a variety of civil aviation and military applications, including transport, utility and attack, medical evacuation, air rescue, firefighting, special operations, and marine patrol.

AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopter