International Armaments Cooperation (IAC)
Concerns cooperation in defense-related research, development, testing, evaluation, and acquisition; identifies opportunities for U.S.-Poland military cooperation; facilitates contacts between the two countries’ defense organizations; and promotes programs to enhance interoperability and mutual security.
Established or planned bilateral Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) include:
- Information Exchange Agreement (IEA) and its Annexes on Technologies for Chemical-Biological Defenses; Weapons and Munitions; and planned Mine Warfare, and Conventional Energetics and Warheads.
- Engineer and Scientist Exchange Program: an Air Force officer worked for two years at Poland’s Space Research Center on GPS and related systems; an Army engineer has been assigned since 2009 to support the MoD on missile defense cooperation.
- Information Assurance/Computer Network Defense MoU: signed in June 2010, forms basis for cyber-warfare defense cooperation.
- Reciprocal Defense Procurement Agreement: will greatly facilitate both countries’ defense industry activities.
- Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement: allows for military service exchanges between U.S. and Poland.
- Government Quality Assurance MoU: allows the Polish MoD to perform the quality assurance function under U.S. defense contracts.
- Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation MoU: would make Poland eligible for participation in the Coalition Warfare Program and other cooperative developmental projects.
Defense Acquisition Education and Training initiative supports the Polish Armed Forces’ efforts to modernize their military acquisition/procurement systems. Close collaboration between the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and Poland’s Military University of Technology helps develop the Polish corps of defense acquisition professionals. A tour of U.S. acquisition and logistics centers in February 2010 familiarized senior MoD officials with the Defense Acquisition System Management both at the DoD and Services’ levels, including armaments cooperation and education/training/certification of the acquisition workforce.
Defense industry cooperation is exemplified by
- DoD participation in Poland’s Defense Industry Exhibition MSPO Kielce; as Lead Nation in 2007, the U.S. was represented by Assistant Secretary of the Army, DARPA Director, Army Chief Scientist and other high-level officials.
- Contracts for Polish defense companies, such as AMZ Kutno for deliveries of $10.5M worth of APC parts to the Iraqi Army.
Advanced Distributed Learning initiative calls for the establishment of a military distance learning center at Poland’s National Defense University.
Examples of successfully completed projects:
- Foreign Comparative Testing of F-14 aircraft replacement components: a Polish aviation company cooperated with three small U.S. contractors on the fabrication of new panel assemblies. For the first-time, Polish-made parts flew on U.S. military jets.
- Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) industry cooperation: an Industry Day and a BMD seminar were held in Warsaw to explore opportunities for long-term R&D and industry cooperation.
- Establishment of the Joint Counter-Terrorism Working Group (JCTWG): following an ODC-sponsored seminar in 2004, the JCTWG was formed under the auspices of the U.S. Ambassador and the Polish Interior Minister.
- Personal Protection Equipment for Avian Influenza: delivered to Poland in July 2007.
- International Visitor Leadership Program nominations: approved by the State Department in 2007 and 2009.