The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Poland for F-16 fighter aircraft sustainment and related equipment, estimated at $389m. The sale includes electronic warfare (EW) database reprogramming support. The Polish request to buy additional non-major defence equipment (MDE) articles and services will be added to a previously implemented FMS case, which was under the congressional notification threshold. The principal contractor will be US defence prime Lockheed Martin, which manufactures the F-16 fighter. The proposed sale aims to improve Poland’s ability to meet current and future threats by increasing the reliability of their F-16 fleet. Poland has embarked on a significant defence modernisation program across land, sea, and air domains, with overall defence spending predicted to total $138.5bn from 2042-2028 at a compound annual growth rate of 10.8%. The biggest single year-on-year increase came from 2022-2023, where spending increased by $7.2bn or 55.7%. Poland has 48 F-16 fighters in its inventory, although their fate was uncertain amid suggestions of donating them to Ukraine in exchange for new build Block 70 aircraft or modernised legacy platforms from US inventories. Poland is also a manufacturing hub for new Block 70/72 F-16 fighters through Lockheed Martin’s subsidiary PZL Mielec.
CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE NEWS
America Backs $389m F-16 Deal With Poland
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