US approves $1.33bn air-to-air missile sale to Poland

May 1, 2025 | Business, Defence, Politics

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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

The US State Department has approved the proposed sale to Poland of 400 AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) along with associated equipment and logistical support for an estimated cost of $1.33 billion (5.04 billion zloty).

“Strategic Polish-US cooperation is bearing fruit,” wrote Polish defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz in response to the news. “This is another step in the great modernisation of the Polish armed forces.”

On Tuesday, the State Department announced that it had approved Poland’s request for the missiles, deeming that the “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.”

It noted that the missiles “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”.

The AIM-120D3 missiles that Poland is buying are the most modern version of AMRAAM and an upgrade on the older versions that the country already uses, notes military news service Defence24.

 

Compared to earlier versions, the AIM-120D3 missiles have a 50% longer range and are more effective in tracking and eliminating targets, reports the INFOR news service.

Australia, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom have previously received approval to purchase AIM-120D3 missiles from the US and will use them on their F-35 fighters.

INFOR notes that Poland will for now use the missiles with its existing F-16s. But in the future they will also be able to arm the 32 F-35s that Poland has ordered.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, speaking on Wednesday, said that the State Department’s decision was another indication that “Polish-American relations have gained new momentum”.

“When it comes to air defence, this is one of the biggest deficits in all of Europe,” said Tusk, quoted by the Polish Press Agency (PAP). “You don’t have to be a specialist to understand that 400 state-of-the-art missiles that will enhance security over Polish skies are absolutely crucial.”

The new deal is “another manifestation of the fact that, regardless of who wins the elections in Poland and the US, the Polish-American friendship and alliance is durable”, added the Polish prime minister.

Earlier this week, Tusk and US energy secretary Chris Wright, who was visiting Warsaw, attended the signing ceremony for a new agreement outlining continued cooperation with a US consortium of Westinghouse and Bechtel in developing Poland’s first nuclear power plant.


Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Main image credit: US Air Force/Wikimedia Commons (under public domain)

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