Poland in 'advanced talks' with Sweden over early warning planes

Poland's talks with Sweden on the acquisition of Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft are "very advanced", the Polish defence minister has said.

On Monday, Mariusz Błaszczak met with his counterparts from the so-called Northern Group, an informal cooperation format bringing together NATO and EU members bordering the Baltic or North Sea.

At the conclusion of the meeting which was held in Legionowo, north of Warsaw, Błaszczak told the press that he had talked to the Swedish defence minister, Pal Jonson.

"I'd like to announce, for the first time in public, that we've been in very advanced talks when it comes to acquiring early warning planes from Sweden," Błaszczak said. "We're in detailed negotiations and I hope they will end successfully shortly."

He said Poland and Sweden had much in common in terms of security policy.

"We're neighbours across the Baltic Sea and we see the Russian threats similarly as we seek solutions to ensure security," Błaszczak said.

Sweden's AEW&Cs are manufactured by Saab. Last year, the Swedish armed forces ordered two GlobalEye aircraft from the producers. Currently, Sweden is using the older Saab planes, the 340 AEW&Cs.

The Northern Group consists of the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, the Nordic and the Baltic states.