Embassy Events 2003
Final Agreements on Purchase of F-16 Signed
18 April 2003Representatives from the Polish and American governments signed
final agreements on April 18, 2003, providing the Polish Armed Forces
with 48 multi-role F-16 C/D block 52 aircraft. The main contract is for
the purchase of the Lockheed Martin planes. Officials also signed a
separate financial package and an agreement to offset the price of the
aircraft through investments in the Polish economy.
General Tome
Walters, Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, signed
the agreements on behalf of the American government. U.S. Ambassador
Christopher R. Hill, also on hand for the ceremony in Dęblin, said:
“This agreement helps establish a new quality in Polish-U.S. relations.
It will set the stage for a further deepening of our strategic
partnership in security and the economy.”
The signing crowns one
of the longest tenders in Poland’s history. Called by the media “the
deal of the century,” the agreement is valued at $3.5 billion. Under
the offset agreement, Lockheed Martin has committed itself to investing
at least $6 billion in Poland’s defense and civilian industries.
 The signing was held at the Polish Air Force Academy in Deblin |  Lt. General Tome Walters (right) congratulates Finance Minister Grzegorz Kolodko (center) and Polish Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski (left) |  Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller (left) and Lt. Gen. Tome Walters | |
 Following the signing, VIPs posed with a model of the F-16 |  At a news conference following the signing (left to right): Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski, Prime Minister Leszek Miller, U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill, Finance Minister Grzegorz Kolodko, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Economy, Labor and Social Policy Jacek Piechota, Lt. Gen. Tome Walters, Mac Stevenson of Lockheed Martin | ||
