Poland signs $3.8 billion deal to upgrade F-16 fighter jets

Poland has signed a contract worth $3.8 billion to upgrade its fleet of F-16 fighter jets, the Polish defence minister said on Wednesday.

Poland has been ramping up defence spending since the start of the war in Ukraine and plans to allocate 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) to its armed forces in 2026.

The country has 48 F-16C/D Block 52+ aircraft which were delivered to the country between 2006 and 2008, state news agency PAP reported.

Polish Defence Minister Wladysław Kosiniak-Kamysz told a news conference that the modernisation work would take place at the Wojskowe Zaklady Lotnicze Nr 2 military aviation plant in the northern city of Bydgoszcz.

“The current capabilities of the F-16 in the CD version are good, but after 20 years, they are insufficient against threats,” he told a news conference.”

“We must improve reconnaissance capabilities, communication, integration with F-35s, Abrams tanks, and Apaches, as well as the ability to operate in every domain.”

Earlier this month Poland signed a second multi-billion dollar deal with South Korean industrial and defence group Hyundai Rotem for the supply of battle tanks.