Poland Considering More F-35s
Despite the change of government and the discussions at the national level surrounding many major infrastructure projects, the Polish Ministry of Defense has seemingly stayed on the course set by the Law and Justice party and wants to continue to pursue modernization and growth of the armed forces. Last week, a new debate was sparked when Lockheed Martin CEO James D. Tacelet visited Poland. Besides the unusual meeting with President Andrzej Duda, Tacelet conducted talks with the current Minister of Defense, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz.
According to a brief statement published by the Polish MoD, Kosiniak-Kamysz and Lockheed Martin CEO discussed the possibility of purchasing a second batch of the F-35A 5th generation multirole jet fighter and the future exploitation and modernization of the F-16C/D Block 52 jets in service with the Polish Air Force. Poland has already obtained 32 F-35 aircraft with an option for an additional batch of 32 planes. The Polish MoD sees the need to purchase more aircraft but is hoping to sign the agreement under favorable conditions and on better financial terms.
The Polish Air Force delivered a number of MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum’ fighters to Ukraine last year and is in the process of acquiring South Korean FA-50 light fighter jets to replace them. However, much heavier and more versatile aircraft are needed in order to provide more capabilities to the PAF. Some comments and speculations were made over the possible purchase of air superiority fighters such as F-15EX or Eurofighter Typhoon.
Lukasz Golowanow, Konflikty.pl
The Polish MoD has several options on the table yet under the latest contract with Lockheed Martin and the agreement received under FMS, Poland can undertake serious measures to obtain 32 more F-35A jets, as they would immediately increase that capacity and ability of the PAF. Other options include participation in the Mid-Life Upgrade program for the F-16C/D fleet and modification of existing airframes to Block 70/72 standard but this would come without a much-needed increase in the number of jets in service.