It cost over PLN 200 million and will accommodate fuel supplies for American soldiers who will come to Poland in the event of a threat, and their equipment and weapons are stored in our country in APS-2 magazines. On the site of the 33rd Transport Aviation Base in Powidzu, the Large Bulk Fuel retention and Distribution Facility, the Grand Paliw Magazine, opened today.
beginning of a fuel warehouse in Powidz, photograph by Krzysztof Wilewski
In August 2020, Poland and the United States signed an enhanced defence cooperation agreementThe United States government has committed to expanding US military presence in our country. Our key ally decided not only to search to Poland any of his subdivisions, but declared that, in the event of a threat, he would direct even more forces over the Vistula River – even respective twelve 1000 soldiers. In order to accomplish combat readiness as shortly as possible, the Pentagon decided that in Poland, as part of the Army Prepositioned Stock 2 program, immense warehouses of military equipment – tanks, artillery, logistics vehicles would be created.
The location of the APS-2 warehouses selected the View, or 33th Transport Air Base. Construction completed last year and the first copies of the equipment went to 5 giant halls in June 2024. 14 M1A2Sepv3 tanks and M88A2 Hercules method safety Vehicle were searched to our country from warehouses in Germany.
Currently, respective 100 different types of vehicles and their spare parts and fuel are stored in APS-2 warehouses in Powidzu, but APS-2 is not suitable for storing large quantities of fuel. This is why the USA and Poland have determined that a peculiar air fuel warehouse, designed for the U.S. troops, will be built on the territory of Powidza, which is utilized not only for all aircraft and helicopters of the US Armed Forces, but besides for tanks, combat infantry trucks and even trucks.
beginning of a fuel warehouse in Powidz, photograph by Krzysztof Wilewski
Poland declared to bear the construction costs according to the American Large Bulk Fuel retention and Distribution Facility guidelines, or the large Paliv Magazine, and the supervision of the investment was entrusted to the Military Property Agency.
Three years after the construction began, on September 25, the ceremony of putting the completed facility into service was held. The ribbon was solemnly cut by: Chief of the Armed Forces Support Inspector General Dariusz Mendral, Commander of the 3rd Transport Wings Gen. Brig. Pil. Grzegorz Kołodziejczyk, Deputy Commander of the 21st theatre Sustainability Command Gen. Brig. John P. Stanley, and Logistics Coordinator EUCOM USA Brig. Gen. Shane Upton.
General Stanley, who represented the U.S. government at the ceremony, stressed that the fuel warehouse in Powidzu is of large importance to the ability of the American army to immediately assist Poland in the event of a threat and is simply a complementary investment for the operating “right next to” APS-2 weapons magazines.
beginning of a fuel warehouse in Powidz, photograph by Krzysztof Wilewski
As General Mendral commented, who is simply a typical of the Minister of Defence for the investments carried out under the Defence Cooperation Agreement between Poland and the United States, the fuel warehouse in Powidz is 1 of 115 investments which have already been completed (55 is completed), are under construction or will only arise under the contract signed 5 years ago. “This facility has immense possibilities, about 6 1000 m3 of aviation fuel for American soldiers will be stored here,” explained the head of the IWSZ and stressed that the Polish Army is trying to make the planned investments not only useful to the allies but besides importantly increase the capabilities of the Polish Armed Forces. “The list of investments includes the construction of training infrastructure and infrastructure to keep equipment, barracks,” the general said.
As the national defence minister indicated, any of the projects are only at the planning stage, and their implementation – specified as the construction of airports to adopt support and allied forces – will end by 2035.
