The United States government has authorized the potential sale of a significant batch of AIM-120D AMRAAM air-to-air missiles to equip the Polish Air Force’s fighter jets. This is based on the recent approval issued by the U.S. Department of State and submitted to Congress for review under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
In recent years, Poland has requested various equipment and weapon systems for its expanding fleet of combat aircraft. In addition to the F-16s acquired from the U.S. years ago (with plans to upgrade them to the Block 70 standard), the Polish Air Force has completed the incorporation of the first 12 KAI FA-50GF jets, which will be followed by another 36 units of the improved FA-50PL variant.
Also worth noting is the major purchase of 32 fifth-generation F-35A fighters, officially designated as “Husarz,” which are currently being inducted into service and will replace the aging Sukhoi Su-22 and MiG-29 aircraft.
Given this expansion of Poland’s fighter fleet, the country requires new stockpiles of various types of missiles, as evidenced by requests made in 2024 and approved by the U.S. Department of State. These include air-to-air AIM-120C-8 and AIM-9X missiles and JASSM-ER air-to-surface missiles requested in March of last year, followed in April by a batch of AARGM-ER anti-radiation missiles.
According to information released on April 29 by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the Polish government recently requested the purchase of 400 AIM-120D3 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) from the United States, along with 16 guidance sections and related equipment. The total value of the deal amounts to $1.33 billion, with RTX Corporation as the principal contractor.
The U.S. Department of State stated: “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is a force for political and economic stability in Europe.”
They added: “The proposed sale will improve Poland’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing air-to-air defense to protect Polish and allied forces in transition or combat and significantly improve the Polish contribution to NATO requirements. Poland already has AMRAAM in its inventory and will have no difficulty absorbing these articles into its armed forces.”
Finally, it should be emphasized that the AIM-120D3 variant authorized for sale to Poland is the most advanced version of the AMRAAM beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile family. It is currently only available to the U.S. Air Force and select allied forces. Key features include enhanced range, upgraded navigation and guidance systems, and improved resistance to electronic countermeasures compared to the AIM-120C-8, the most advanced export variant until now.
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