Anerica, Britain wan't sell arms to RI, but Poland will
Anerica, Britain wan't sell arms to RI, but Poland will
Oei Eng Goan, Staff Writer, The Jakarta Post, Warsaw
Poland has modernized its defense capabilities and equipment since its admittance to the Western-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1999, and produces a large variety of defense equipment ranging from night vision goggles, mobile surveillance radar units, tanks, to ships and helicopters equipped with guided missiles.
While modifying its stockpile of Soviet-origin military equipment, today Poland also develops and exports its own arms products to Asian markets like India, Malaysia and Indonesia to support its economy. Two state-owned companies, Capital Group Bumar and Cenzin, have been appointed to oversee the needs of the country's defense system as well as the purchase and sales of Polish weapons.
"We have signed a sales deal for 48 tanks to Malaysia, and discussion is under way to sell two radar system units to Indonesia," said First Deputy of the Defense Ministry Janusz Zemke to a group of Asian journalists, who were invited by the Polish government to Warsaw late last month. It has been reported that Singapore is also interested in buying Polish armored personnel carriers.
Polish arms products equal those made by Western industrialized countries but are priced lower, giving buyers a competitive option, Zemke explained, saying that a unit of Polish-made fire control system is priced at US$300,000, while a product of a similar type and quality by other arms producers is sold at US$750,000 per unit.
The technological sophistication of Polish weaponry was demonstrated during a recent NATO joint-military exercise, when a Polish anti-aircraft missile could not be jammed by British and U.S. teams, said Zemke.
The Polish government invited guest journalists from Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. The journalists were also given an opportunity to tour restricted areas of the Polish defense industry, including an interior inspection of the LA-3, an armored, mobile defense command post equipped with anti- aircraft missiles and a highly advanced radar system.
Despite its drive for weapons exports to support its economy, Poland realizes the sensitivity of issues surrounding the arms sales industry. It has thus created policies to regulate its arms sales, namely that it will not provide arms to countries considered hostile to NATO or the 15 members of the European Union (EU). Poland is expected to join the EU in 2004.
In addition, Poland will not sell arms to both sides of an existing conflict.
For example, "When we supply armaments to India, we do not sell our arms products to Pakistan," Zemke said.
The Polish deputy defense minister, who visited Jakarta earlier this year, said he had met with chiefs of staff of the Indonesian military (TNI) and had offered Poland's assistance to help upgrade TNI's obsolete equipment under an insured credit package. Zemke, however, did not mention the amount of the credit.
TNI's main arms suppliers, the United States and Britain, have embargoed arms shipments to the Indonesian military following allegations of human rights violations by TNI members in East Timor, the former Indonesian province which opted for independence under a United Nations-sponsored referendum three years ago.
Although not the ultimate solution, defense facilities and equipment are all the more necessary now that terrorist attacks have become rampant in the region. Indonesia should thus accept Poland's offer of assistance and use this timely opportunity to upgrade the TNI and police force armories for purposes of national defense and domestic security.
The writer was among journalists invited by the government of Poland.