Put me on the Front Line

India's defence relations with Poland have grown from military cooperation to comprehensive defence cooperation that includes courses, training for UN peacekeeping operations, and exchange of observers during army exercises. India and Poland signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation in February 2003 during the visit of the Prime Minister of Poland Leszek Miller to India. India awarded contracts worth US $ 600 million (INR3.5 thousand-crores) to Poland for modernisation of tanks and the acquisition of air defence missiles. The T-72 tank with 800 horsepower engines were fitted with 1000 hp engine and also fitted with modern fire control systems and night vision equipment. Both India and Poland are considering privatising their defence industries and see good prospects for mutual investments. Indian Army chief General Deepak Kapoor visited Warsaw in March 2008 followed by Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Ryszard Schnepf in June the same year.[12] India also acquired 625 assault parachutes from the Polish company Air-Pol with automatic devices ensuring their reliable opening, with a total value of US $1.5 million. India's growing defence buy-outs from Poland has disappointed Russia which had considered India a safe market for its military hardware. Poland also delivered a batch of 80 WZT-3 ARVs to the Indian Army in 2001 for use in Kolar gold field facility in Karnataka and next in 2004. The final batch of 40 WZT-3 ARVs were assembled in India from kits supplied from Poland.