The United States government has recently authorized the sale of a Block 70 upgrade package for the Polish Air Force’s fleet of F-16 fighter jets. This decision is outlined in one of the latest notifications submitted by the State Department to the U.S. Congress for approval under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Although not explicitly mentioned, the items included in the package correspond to components from the most modern version of the Fighting Falcon, known as the F-16V, applicable both to newly manufactured jets and upgraded ones.
Thanks to agreements reached in 2002, the Polish Air Force operates an estimated fleet of 48 F-16 Block 52 jets, of which 36 are the C version (single-seat) and 12 are the D version (two-seat). This acquisition, formalized in 2003 and valued at USD 3.5 billion, represented the most significant military equipment purchase made to date by a country that was formerly part of the Soviet bloc.
The updated package, valued at $7.3 billion and supplied primarily by Lockheed Martin, includes a large quantity of hardware and software components, covering the entire Polish fleet of F-16 Block 52 jets.
For example, according to information released by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the package authorized by the State Department includes the provision of 58 units (48 installed and 10 spares) of the AESA AN/APG-83 SABR radar, one of the key components in upgrading F-16s to the Block 70/72 configuration.
This pattern of equipment provision is also seen in other items within the package, such as upgrades for the 7000AH mission computers, and in larger quantities for systems like the AN/ALQ-257 Viper Electronic Warfare Suites (with options to customize, including the AN/ALQ-254V(1) Viper Shield system).
If Poland proceeds with its plans to modernize its F-16s to Block 70, it will join other NATO countries upgrading their Fighting Falcon fleets to this version, such as Greece and, more recently, Turkey. Additionally, other European nations are acquiring newly manufactured F-16V jets, such as Slovakia and Bulgaria, as they replace their Soviet-origin fighter inventories.
Furthermore, in addition to the recent authorization for modernization, similar decisions have been made in favor of Poland to equip its F-16s with new short-range AIM-9X and medium-range AIM-120C air-to-air missiles, as well as air-to-surface JASSM-ER missiles potentially.
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