Armed Forces
Poland Procures Missiles for Its “Current and Future Fighters”
Deputy Minister of Defence Paweł Bejda announced the signing of a contract for the Polish Air Force to acquire AIM-9X Block II air-to-air missiles.
The agreement, signed by the head of the Armament Agency, Brigadier General Artur Kuptel, with the U.S. government, includes the delivery of 232 missiles. The first missiles will be handed over to the Polish Armed Forces between 2028 and 2030. The contract is valued at $175 million. The U.S. State Department approved Poland’s purchase of these missiles in March 2024, with the maximum transaction value notified at $219 million.
The AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II is a short-range air-to-air missile produced by Raytheon, equipped with an infrared-guided seeker.
Szef #AgencjaUzbrojenia gen. bryg. dr Artur Kuptel podpisał Letter of Acceptance, czyli umowę zawieraną z Rządem 🇺🇸 na zakup 232 pocisków AIM-9X #Sidewinder Block II.
— Agencja Uzbrojenia (@AgencjaUzbr) November 29, 2024
Kontrakt poza dostawą w latach 2028-2030 lotniczych środków bojowych obejmuje elementy dodatkowe, w tym części… pic.twitter.com/bBN8X0hUhG
It can engage targets locked before launch (LOBL – Lock-On-Before-Launch) or after launch (LOAL – Lock-On-After-Launch). The missile is compatible with helmet-mounted targeting systems.
The AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missiles will be deployable on the primary fighter jets of the Polish Air Force: 48 F-16C/D Block 52+ (both in their current and upgraded versions), 36 FA-50PL, and 32 F-35A. Fifth-generation fighters carry these missiles under their wings, while medium-range AMRAAM missiles are carried in internal bays, potentially supplemented by Meteor missiles in the future. Poland already possesses AIM-9X Block II missiles, having purchased them in 2016. Earlier, during the acquisition of F-16C/D aircraft in the first decade of the 21st century, Poland bought the older AIM-9X Block I missiles.
