Poland’s government announced on Monday the purchase of missiles from the US for 677 million euros, as part of a strategy to increase the capabilities of the Polish armed forces, to counter the potential threat from Russia.
The contract, which is expected to be signed today, is part of the process of rapid modernization of the Polish armed forces that began after the Russian military invaded Ukrainian territory in 2022.
“The war in Ukraine showed the importance of the ability to launch missiles against targets far from the front line, and the range of the missiles to be obtained is about 1,000 kilometers,” the Polish Ministry of Defense explained in a press release.
The delivery of AGM-158 JASSM-ER missiles from the American side to the Polish side will take place over 4 years from 2026 to 2030.
Poland already has JASSM missiles with a range of 370 km, part of the armament of US-made F-16 fighter jets.
Citing the Russian threat, Poland has rapidly increased its defense budget, which it now has at around 4% of GDP – the highest among NATO members.
Warsaw spends billions of dollars to buy military equipment, mainly from the US and South Korea.