Putting off potential aggressors has for decades been one of the foundations of NATO strategy, Polish defense minister Tomasz Siemoniak tells the daily Gazeta Wyborcza in an interview explaining the planned gigantic expenses on modernization of the Polish army.

The Polish armament industry should become one of the motors of the Polish economy, he also says.

Poland plans to spend over PLN 130 billion on arms in the coming ten years. According to minister Semoniak this will money will be well spent since it will create workplaces for many Polish scientists, engineers and workers.

The minister says that emphasis should be put on strengthening Poland’s defense capabilities in the Baltic Sea. As a coastal country of the European Union and NATO Poland needs to be euipped with modern weapons that will allow it to control the Baltic Sea, Siemoniak says.

The Defense Ministry wants to purchase ultramodern and costly cruise missiles for F-16 jet fighter aircraft. Poland is also mulling an acquisition of submarines as the prices are declining amidst the global crisis, the minister had earlier said. PLN 10-14 billion could be plowed into anti-missile equipment, while PLN 2-3 billion could go towards the purchase of 83 drones.

This kind of weapons is meant to put off potential aggressors, Siemoniak says.