More noteworthy is Poland’s intention to accelerate the modernization of its military hardware. Indeed, the Polish military has long recognized its need to replace the 30- to 40-year-old combat systems that make up much of its equipment. That is particularly true of the Polish army and air force, which still operate Soviet-era T-72 and PT-91 (a T-72 variant) main battle tanks (MBT) and MiG-29 and Su-22 aircraft. Hence, in 2012, Polish defense planners laid out a structured roadmap for their country’s military procurement programs in the Armed Forces Technical Modernization Plan (Plan Modernizacji Technicznej or PMT). Since then, the plan has made some good, but uneven progress in acquiring new equipment. Broadly speaking, the PMT’s programs for the Polish air force have fared better than those for its army and navy.
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