Poland strikes $3.8B deal to modernize F-16 fleet as defense spending rises

Serhat Bozkurt/iStock Editorial via Getty Images

Poland finalized a $3.8 billion agreement to upgrade its fleet of F-16 fighter jets, Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced Wednesday.

The move is part of Warsaw’s broader effort to boost military capabilities, with plans to allocate 5% of GDP to defense by 2026 in response to regional security threats following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The country operates 48 F-16C/D Block 52+ aircraft, delivered between 2006 and 2008, according to state news agency PAP. Modernization work will be carried out at the Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze Nr 2 aviation facility in Bydgoszcz.

The jet overhaul follows another major defense deal earlier this month, when Poland signed a multi-billion-dollar contract with South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem for the delivery of battle tanks.

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