WARSAW, Poland — The Polish Ministry of National Defence has signed a deal to buy more than 200 AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles-Extended Range (AARGM-ER) from the United States, becoming the region’s first ally to secure an advanced capability to destroy enemy radar emitters associated with air defense systems.
The contract to purchase the missiles, made by Northrop Grumman, comes as Poland is awaiting the delivery of the first batch of its 32 ordered F-35 fighter jets next year.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said that the missiles will represent a significant reinforcement of the aircraft’s combat capacities, according to a statement released by his ministry.
Under the latest deal, Warsaw is buying “anti-radiation missiles that target, find and affect enemy air defense systems, anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense systems,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
“This is a breakthrough purchase. Only in such a case, when we have fully equipped F-35 aircraft, with the possibility of also adapting to F-16 aircraft, are we able to effectively use all the capabilities of these most modern machines which will be used by the Polish Armed Forces,” the deputy prime minister added.
The contract has a net worth of some $745 million. Deliveries of the missiles are scheduled for the years 2029 to 2035.
Poland has boosted efforts to acquire new weapons and military gear for its armed forces in the aftermath of Russia’s 2022 invasion of its neighbor Ukraine. While allies along NATO’s eastern flank have responded by ramping up military expenditure, Poland has led the way, declaring plans to spend about PLN 160 billion (US$39.7 billion), or some 4.2 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), on its armed forces in 2025.
Jaroslaw Adamowski is the Poland correspondent for Defense News.
Author: Jaroslaw Adamowski
Source: DefenseNews
