Defense experts here point to how Poland has already gained five years' worth of experience in upgrading military equipment to meet NATO requirements, something that can be exported to the organization's new members.
Rapid changes in states bordering Russia have already caused Moscow to voice concerns, particularly from Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, who has been quoted as describing the expansion as "offensive." Already some moves have been made to placate the Russian defense industry, set to lose a huge chunk of its market as a result of the enlargement. Russia's most up to date fighter jet, the Mikoyan Mig-29 'Fulcrum,' has been upgraded in Poland to meet NATO compatibility, preserving valuable demand for high-tech parts and upgrades from Russia. The Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze No. 2 (WZL-2) plant in Bydgoszcz is also set to continue its upgrade program of Russian hardware.
NATO air forces have already begun patrolling the skies of the three Baltic republics of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, each with sizable Russian communities and borders with Russia. Yet NATO chiefs are presenting the expansion as a shift in tack in NATO's role, from one of defending the Euro-Atlantic community from a perceived Soviet threat to one of strategic and coordinated defense against terrorism and pariah states.
This month's expansion provides NATO with a seamless land link from bases in Western Europe, through Central Europe and the Balkans to Turkey and its borders with Syria, Iraq and Iran. U.S. bases are set to be moved from Germany to Bulgaria, Romania and Poland and new armed forces will raise the number of NATO troops by 200,000 to a total of three million, all of whom will need to be integrated into the rump of the NATO system.
"No other organization has proven as dynamic as NATO, and as capable of adapting to changing circumstances," NATO's Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told the press at a conference in Warsaw.
Within a two-year timeframe, NATO is expected to have created a multinational 'rapid reaction force' capable of deploying within a week's notice. This will demand the increased professionalism of the largely conscript forces of the new member countries, placing a greater emphasis on higher skills and technical ability.
Lockheed Martin representative and defense expert Marek Matraszek identifies increasing specialization in the Polish defense industry. "Some of the traditional firms are concentrating on markets with post-Soviet equipment, such as Asia," says Matraszek, "...while high-tech defense firms such as Sterproject and TechMex look likely to pair up with perhaps more demanding market leaders in NATO."
New NATO members are expected to spend up to zł.15.6 billion ($4 billion) per annum on necessary upgrades. American defense firm Lockheed Martin, already well established in Poland with the biggest Offset deal in history, stands to gain the most. But related companies, such as WSK-PZL, an aerospace technology firm, will also be in a prime position to feed the new countries with technology.
Furthermore, Bumar looks forward to redressing its first loss to Nour USA with the next tender for the supply of arms to the new Iraqi army. This is due to take place in Washington rather than Baghdad, the result of which will be announced within three months. Deputy Minister of Defense Janusz Zemke has suggested that the best solution would be to form an international consortium.
Kamil Tchorek
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