Poland faces budget gap for hangars and storage to house 120 billion zlotys in SAFE arms

Massive arms procurement under SAFE loans

At the end of May, the Polish government signed more than 60 contracts to purchase military equipment, financed through the European Union's SAFE loan facility. Poland was the first EU member state to sign an agreement with the European Commission for up to 43.7 billion euros under the mechanism. The initial package of signed contracts exceeded 120 billion zlotys, drawing on the country's total allocation of more than 180 billion zlotys. These domestic contracts were executed before the end-of-May deadline for single-country procurement, after which subsequent orders require joint participation from at least two member states. The Armed Forces Support Fund, operated by Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, has already received an initial tranche of roughly 6.5 billion euros, representing 15% of Poland's total loan allocation.

Equipment delivery timeline and contract scope

Under the terms of the SAFE mechanism, all equipment contracts executed by the Armament Agency must be fulfilled by the end of 2030. Deputy ministers Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka and Cezary Tomczyk detailed that more than 47 billion zlotys are allocated for artillery systems, including Krab self-propelled howitzers and Rak mortars. Another allocation of over 44 billion zlotys is directed toward air defense systems, such as the San counter-drone system. The procurement will deliver hundreds or thousands of wheeled and armored vehicles, drone systems, and hundreds of thousands of rounds of large-caliber 155 mm artillery ammunition to the Polish Armed Forces within four years.

Construction budget shortfall in internal ministry documents

Internal correspondence within the Ministry of National Defence indicates that the Construction Investment Plan (PIB) is underfunded by roughly 100%. For 2026, the ministry allocated 7.5 billion zlotys to the PIB, representing a rise of nearly 10% compared to 2025. In contrast, planned 2026 expenditures for new equipment via the Armed Forces Support Fund exceed 70 billion zlotys, while the Technical Modernization Plan (PMT) accounts for more than 35 billion zlotys. The internal documents state that no financial resources have been secured to build the infrastructure required for the equipment arriving under the SAFE loans, leaving an annual deficit of at least several billion zlotys.

Storage risks and construction timelines

The funding shortfall leaves specialized storage facilities, such as aircraft shelters, climate-controlled ammunition warehouses with humidity management, and vehicle garages, unbuilt. Military equipment stored in open conditions faces accelerated wear, increased breakdown rates, and potential loss of manufacturer warranties. Building military infrastructure typically requires two to three years for documentation and construction under optimistic estimates. Publicist Rafał Ziemkiewicz compared the procurement situation to economic policies during the Polish People's Republic era.

They wanted it to be like under Gierek again, so here they have it. Exactly such situations I remember from 'thaw' publications: licenses for machines bought for heavy borrowed money that did not fit anything or produced unusable things.

The Ministry of National Defence has not responded to inquiries submitted regarding funding plans for the required infrastructure.