The U.S. State Department greenlighted Warsaw’s request for the improvement package, which will cost an estimated $7.30 billion, according to a United States Department of Defense agency press release.
The move should bolster the eastern flank of the NATO military alliance at a time of growing security concerns owing to the war in Ukraine.
The F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft. The first Lockheed Martin F-16s arrived in Poland in 2006 and the aircraft’s expected service life is about 40 years.
According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announcement, the proposed sale will allow Poland to modify and upgrade its existing F-16 aircraft to the new Viper configuration.
“The F-16 Viper Midlife Upgrade (MLU) will bolster Poland’s air defense and surveillance capabilities, support national security, and strengthen Poland’s defense and contributions to NATO,” the DSCA reported.
“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,” the DSCA added.
The MLU includes installing new radars, electronic warfare systems and missile warning technologies, the DSCA said on Thursday.
Lockheed Martin plants in Fort Worth, Texas, and Greenville, South Carolina, assemble the F-16, using components manufactured in Polish factories such as PZL Mielec, located near Rzeszów in southeastern Poland.
According to the DSCA statement, the offset terms will be defined in negotiations between Poland and Lockheed Martin.
