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The United States and Poland have agreed to deepen cooperation between their defense industries, while Washington considers Warsaw’s long-standing request to establish a permanent U.S. military base in the country.

The statement of intent was signed by Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth during a meeting at the Pentagon on November 10, 2026.

The signing marks another step in the growing military partnership between the two NATO allies, with plans to expand joint defense production, technology transfers, maintenance facilities and cooperation between companies.

The talks also addressed the future of the American military presence in Poland, with Kosiniak-Kamysz saying that the Pentagon had given a preliminary green light to the proposed permanent base. However, the final decision rests with U.S. President Donald Trump and is expected in early December.

Hegseth described the agreement as an important step in strengthening allied relations and accelerating bilateral defense cooperation. Kosiniak-Kamysz, meanwhile, said Poland had moved beyond being a model NATO ally to becoming a strategic partner of the United States.

A declaration of intent aimed at increasing the scale and speed of Polish-American bilateral cooperation in the defense industry was signed in Washington today by Deputy PM, Minister of Defense @KosiniakKamysz and @SecWar Pete Hegseth. 🇵🇱🤝🇺🇸 https://t.co/u3075Ftk8L

— Embassy of Poland U.S. (@PolishEmbassyUS) November 10, 2026

Expanding Joint Defense Production in Poland

A central objective of the new agreement is to increase the production and maintenance of American military equipment in Poland. Kosiniak-Kamysz said the two countries want more U.S. weapons and military systems to be manufactured and serviced directly in Poland, including through the transfer of technology and greater industrial cooperation.

The initiative is also intended to create more opportunities for Polish companies to participate in American defense supply chains. Warsaw wants joint Polish-American projects to benefit from European funding, allowing companies from both countries to expand production while strengthening Europe’s defense industrial capacity. Kosiniak-Kamysz said he would raise the issue at an upcoming meeting of EU defense ministers, describing Poland as an “ambassador of the U.S. in the EU.”

The signing followed the Transatlantic Defense Industry Access Forum, held in Warsaw on November 9, which brought together Polish and American defense companies. The U.S. delegation included more than 80 American defense companies. The gathering provided an opportunity for defense manufacturers and government representatives to discuss industrial partnerships, production opportunities, and ways to improve access to each other’s markets.

Recent developments have already demonstrated the growing industrial relationship. Last month, the United States selected Poland to host a European maintenance and technical support center for Patriot PAC-3 missiles. The facility is expected to strengthen maintenance capacity, shorten repair times, and improve supply lines for NATO forces operating in Europe.

Poland is also preparing to expand its role in missile production. In July, Poland’s state-owned Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) and Military Aviation Works No. 2 (WZL 2) signed an agreement with American company Anduril Industries to establish assembly and subsequent production capabilities for the Barracuda-500M cruise missile in Poland.

Together with the planned Patriot maintenance facility, the initiative reflects Warsaw’s ambition to develop Poland into an important European center for American defense equipment production, maintenance and support.

Pentagon Gives Positive Signal on Permanent US Base

The proposed permanent U.S. military base was another major subject of the Washington meeting. Poland has long sought a permanent American military installation, viewing it as an important security guarantee and a means of strengthening NATO’s eastern flank.

Following the talks, Kosiniak-Kamysz described Hegseth’s response as a “green light” from the Pentagon for the proposed permanent U.S. military presence, indicating that discussions were moving in a positive direction. However, he clarified that the final decision would be made by the White House, with an announcement expected in early December.

The Pentagon’s account of the meeting acknowledged ongoing discussions about strengthening the permanent American military presence in Poland but did not formally confirm approval of a new base. No location, construction timetable, or additional troop numbers have been announced.

Poland already hosts approximately 10,000 American military personnel, most of whom are deployed on a rotational basis. Warsaw has discussed expanding that presence to approximately 15,000 troops, including 10,000–11,000 rotational personnel and up to 5,000 permanently stationed troops, while covering a substantial share of the infrastructure costs for a permanent installation.

Poland already hosts approximately 10,000 American military personnel, most of whom are deployed on a rotational basis. Warsaw has also expressed interest in expanding that presence, with reports indicating that it has discussed hosting as many as 15,000 U.S. troops and covering a substantial share of the infrastructure costs for a permanent installation.

Kosiniak-Kamysz also thanked Hegseth for efforts to implement Trump’s earlier declaration concerning the deployment of an additional 5,000 American troops to Poland. He said details of the discussions would be made public soon.

The proposal has received support across Poland’s political leadership despite ongoing domestic disagreements. Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Karol Nawrocki recently agreed to cooperate in securing a permanent American military presence in the country.

Nawrocki, who has close political ties with Trump, has also supported naming the proposed installation “Fort Trump.” The name was originally suggested by former Polish President Andrzej Duda in 2018 as part of an earlier effort to persuade Washington to establish a permanent military base in Poland.

NATO’s Eastern Flank and US Military Strategy

Hegseth praised Poland’s defense investments and described its armed forces as among the most formidable in Europe. He specifically highlighted Warsaw’s purchases of American military equipment, including M1 Abrams tanks, F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, AH-64 Apache helicopters, and Patriot air and missile defense systems.

Poland is spending nearly 5% of its gross domestic product on defense, making it one of NATO’s highest-spending members. Its military modernization efforts have focused on strengthening its land forces, air capabilities and air and missile defenses, particularly in response to Russia’s continued military aggression against Ukraine.

Hegseth also presented Poland as an example of the greater defense responsibilities Washington expects European NATO members to assume under its “NATO 3.0” approach. The concept calls for European allies to take primary responsibility for their conventional defense, allowing the United States to adjust its military presence in Europe and devote greater attention to other strategic priorities, including the Indo-Pacific.

The discussions come as the Pentagon approaches the completion of a broader review of American military deployments across Europe. The review, expected to conclude in December, has raised questions among European allies about possible reductions in U.S. troop numbers, particularly in countries such as Germany, Italy and Spain.

Earlier in 2026, the Trump administration announced plans to withdraw approximately 5,000 American troops from Germany. However, Washington has not confirmed whether the proposed permanent base in Poland would be connected to any reductions elsewhere in Europe.

Securing a permanent American military presence remains a major defense policy priority for Poland. The combination of a stronger military partnership, expanded defense production, and a possible permanent U.S. installation would further deepen Poland’s strategic relationship with Washington while strengthening its position on NATO’s eastern flank.