Poland’s largest defence corporation PGZ Group has aligned itself more closely with two major defence companies: Babcock International and Saab.
Both agreements have been inked at the MSPO defence industry exhibition in Kielce, Poland this week, and seek to expand cooperation between the firms across multiple domains.
Babcock has signed a strategic cooperation agreement (SCA) with PGZ which will enhance cooperation between the two firms in the sea and air domains, as per a Babcock press statement.
It noted: “The SCA will provide opportunities for us to combine capabilities to design, build, repair and service naval assets, sustain military aircraft and co-develop solutions for strategic asset management for the armed forces.”
Babcock already has a foothold in both Warsaw and Gydnia, having been working closely with PGZ SA on Poland’s Miecznik shipbuilding programme; the frigates are a variant of Babcock’s Arrowhead 140 platform which also forms the basis for the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigates.
Babcock CEO David Lockwood signed the SCA alongside Adam Leszkiewicz, CEO of PGZ SA. He commented: “This growing industrial partnership with PGZ SA will deepen our relationship and accelerate our support for the Polish armed forces, alongside our joint global ambitions across air and marine domains.
“The Miecznik programme is a great example of the benefits our relationship is already delivering.”
Mr Leszkiewicz added: “Our cooperation with Babcock demonstrates real partnership. Today’s agreement is a milestone in our cooperation, which we are building across various domains with decades in mind. Together, we strengthen not only the Polish Armed Forces but also NATO’s security and military potential”.
In a separate development, Saab has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with PGZ Group in exploring potential cooperation on projects related to multi-domain operations taking in air, land, and naval platforms.
As per a Saab press statement, both firms will also explore potential future joint initiatives supporting Ukraine, including cooperation with domestic Ukrainian industry partners.
Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab, commented: “We are pleased to have signed this agreement today, and look forward to cooperating with the PGZ Group.
“This is another important milestone in strengthening the collaboration between the Polish and Swedish defence industries.
“There is great potential for expanding the existing partnership between our nations to ensure security and stability in Europe, including the Baltic Sea region.”
- You can read more details on the Babcock International website and the Saab website