Poland lacks billions for infrastructure for new armaments - media

Poland contracted armaments for more than 100 billion zlotys through the European SAFE credit mechanism, but the budget of the Ministry of National Defence did not provide sufficient funds for the infrastructure necessary for their storage and operation.

This was reported by Rzeczpospolita, citing internal documents of the Polish defence ministry. The new armaments purchased under the SAFE programme are to arrive to the Polish army by the end of 2030. 

It is not just about building ordinary garages. The new equipment requires protected hangars for aviation, places for servicing military vehicles, as well as specialised ammunition depots with controlled temperature and humidity.

The Plan of construction investments of the Polish Armed Forces for 2026 provides for 7.5 billion zlotys – almost 10% more than last year. At the same time, according to Rzeczpospolita, internal correspondence of the Ministry of Defence assesses the current amount of funding as approximately half of what is needed. Thus, at least several billion zlotys may be lacking each year. The newspaper asked the ministry for a comment, but had not received a response at the time of publication.

The imbalance is particularly noticeable against the background of spending directly on armaments. In 2026, over 35 billion zlotys are to be directed through the Technical Modernisation Plan, and another over 70 billion zlotys – for the purchase of equipment through the Armed Forces Support Fund, into which SAFE funds flow. In total, over 100 billion zlotys are to be spent on new armaments and their modernisation this year alone.

Not only money, but also construction deadlines may become a problem. Preparation of documentation, conducting procurement and construction of military facilities in Poland, even under a favourable scenario, may take two to three years. Therefore, even a rapid increase in funding in 2027 does not guarantee that all the necessary infrastructure will be ready by the time the new equipment is delivered.

According to Rzeczpospolita's estimate, without the necessary infrastructure, some of the armoured vehicles, artillery systems and other equipment may be forced to be stored outdoors, which accelerates their wear. For aviation and ammunition, the requirements are even stricter, and improper storage conditions may create problems with operation and warranty maintenance.

Poland is the largest recipient of funding within the European SAFE mechanism. In total, Warsaw expects to receive about 44 billion euros, or approximately 180 billion zlotys, for defence projects. The Polish government has stated that it plans to direct over 80% of these funds to orders from its own defence industrial complex.

At the end of May, the Polish government announced the first contracts under the programme. At that time, it was planned to sign about 40 agreements with a total value of 100 billion zlotys within a few days. Among the largest areas of funding are artillery systems and air, missile and anti-drone defence.

Thus, the rapid rearmament of the Polish army has created a separate need for a significant increase in investments in military construction. Without this, some of the new equipment may arrive to the troops before the necessary infrastructure is ready for it.

Based on materials from: Rzeczpospolita, Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland, Polska SAFE programme