Poland is considering the acquisition of Airbus A400M heavy transport aircraft through European financing, a potential deal separate from the country’s competition for a new medium transport aircraft.
Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski confirmed on August 11 that the Defense Ministry was in talks over the A400M. He said Poland was interested in both transport and aerial refueling capabilities and could seek financing through the European Union’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) mechanism.
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No number of aircraft has been officially disclosed. Polish defense analyst Jarosław Wolski said on August 25 that sources had indicated a possible purchase of between eight and 15 A400Ms, with some pointing toward the upper end of that range.
The discussions follow Poland’s participation in a multinational A400M initiative announced at the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7. Belgium, Croatia, France, Poland, Spain, Türkiye and the United Kingdom joined the project, which is intended to provide the participants with additional strategic airlift capacity.
The initiative is based on a pooling and sharing model and could lead to additional A400M orders. Poland is also the largest beneficiary of the EU’s SAFE defense financing mechanism and has sought access to funds left unused by other member states.
The potential A400M acquisition comes as Poland continues a separate effort to select a new medium transport aircraft under its DROP program.
The program is intended to provide a successor to the Polish Air Force’s C-130 Hercules fleet. According to Polish defense publication Defence24, the current competition is centered on the Embraer C-390 Millennium and Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules.
Defence24 reported in May that Poland was also seeking a heavy intercontinental transport capability outside the DROP requirement, with the A400M under consideration for that role.
The distinction could allow Poland to acquire the A400M without determining the outcome of DROP. The aircraft also belong to different payload categories. The A400M can carry up to 81,600 lb (37,000 kg), compared with 57,300 lb (26,000 kg) for the C-390 and around 44,000 lb (20,000 kg) for the C-130J-30.
Aging C-130
Poland currently operates C-130E and C-130H Hercules aircraft alongside Airbus C295 light transports but has no aircraft in the A400M payload category.
Warsaw has maintained contacts with manufacturers on both requirements. A Polish Defense Ministry delegation visited Airbus Defence and Space facilities in Getafe, Spain, in June, where it was shown the A400M maintenance center and the A330 MRTT program.
At the same time, Embraer has pursued the DROP requirement through an industrial proposal involving Poland’s state-owned defense industry. The Brazilian manufacturer and Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze No. 2 (WZL-2) signed an agreement in June covering potential maintenance, modifications, painting and systems integration for the C-390.
No selection has been announced under DROP, and Poland has not signed an order for the A400M.
