Babcock International has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze No. 1 (WZL 1) to explore the creation of a joint support and training centre for the Polish Armed Forces’ helicopter fleet.
The partnership aims to improve sustainment, maintenance, and technical training capabilities to strengthen Poland’s operational readiness and long-term defence autonomy.
The announcement builds on a Strategic Cooperation Agreement signed earlier in September between Babcock and Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) at the MSPO defence exhibition in Kielce, which seeks to expand cooperation across both the maritime and aerospace sectors. WZL 1 is a subsidiary of PGZ and a key industrial player in the maintenance of Polish Air Force assets.
According to Babcock, the collaboration will allow Poland’s defence industry to independently maintain and support modern helicopter systems while developing a national training hub for technical personnel. Pierre Basquin, Chief Executive of Babcock’s Aviation Sector, said “a fully prepared and ready to deploy helicopter fleet plays a central role in Poland’s national and international security,” adding that the agreement “marks a significant step forward in strengthening Poland’s defence autonomy.”
Babcock operates in Poland as Babcock Polska from Gdynia and Warsaw, working with the PGZ-Miecznik consortium as platform design provider and technology partner for the Miecznik frigate programme.
