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.