Poland launches major upgrade of F-16 jets ahead of advanced missile deliveries

Poland is set to modernise its entire fleet of American-made F-16 fighter jets in a multi-billion-dollar defence overhaul, ahead of a significant delivery of advanced air-to-air missiles from the United States.

According to Polish media reports citing the Ministry of Defence, the upgrade programme will see the country’s 48 F-16 “Jastrząb” (Hawk) aircraft upgraded to the advanced “Viper” variant, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The initiative will cost approximately $7.3 billion and is scheduled to begin next year, with six aircraft to be modernised annually.

The move comes as Poland prepares to receive a large batch of AIM-120D-3 AMRAAM missiles from Washington. These state-of-the-art air-to-air missiles offer a range of up to 180 kilometres and are equipped with a jam-resistant guidance system. The sale was previously approved by the US State Department.

“At present, the only multirole aircraft in our inventory capable of using the AIM-120D-3 is the F-16 Jastrząb,” a defence official said.

“We operate 48 of these aircraft based at Krzesiny near Poznań and Łask near Łódź. They will be upgraded to the F-16 Viper standard starting next year.”

The Ministry also noted that the next aircraft to be capable of deploying the new missiles will be the F-35 Lightning II. The first F-35s are expected to arrive in Łask in 2026, with a total of 32 aircraft anticipated by 2030.

By Aghakazim Guliyev