The price that Poland will have to pay for the purchase of US F-35 fighter jets will be similar to that proposed to Belgium: the two countries are buying very similar lots. Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said today, adding that "it is very likely that it does not exceed 6,5 billion dollars. This is the upper limit, but it could undergo further changes: when we bought the Patriot system last year, the cap was set at 10,5 billion dollars, but the deal was concluded at a price of just under 5“, Said the minister, reiterating how the F-35s will be crucial for the development of the skills of the Polish Armed Forces, as well as acting as a deterrent.
Poland is already flying with 48 Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters and news of the purchase of the F-35s leaked last May when US Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said at the end of an event at Center International. Meridian in Washington, which a U.S. delegation allegedly met with Polish defense officials in order to illustrate the costs and benefits of the F-35 for Poland's armed forces.
Poland intends to replace its old Soviet-era MiG-29 Fulcrum and Su-22 Fitter fighters. Its aviation still has 31 MiG-29s and 18 Su-22s on line. Senior Polish officials had told local media that they would replace Soviet aircraft with 32 F-35.
F-35 Poles ready to counter the Russian SAM S-300
The F-35's current design and electronic equipment would, however, make it difficult to track next-generation surface-to-air missiles such as the long-range SAM S-300s that Russia has deployed in its Kaliningrad enclave, north of Poland. . Studies and research are underway on probable updates to the aircraft's software and hardware.
When the US Air Force deployed the F-15 fighter of the 104sima Fighter Wing in Estonia in the 2016, the jets had very close encounters with that type of Russian ground-to-air missiles.
"When you take off in Estonia you are very close to being enlightened by a Russian system [ground-to-air missile] outside Kaliningrad"Said Colonel Tom Bladen, operating officer of the 104sima Fighter Wing,
Earlier this year, the United States Marine Corps successfully deployed its F-35Bs in Syria, where Russia also deployed the advanced S-300 missile system.
Returning to the acquisition of the aircraft, the director of the F-35 program said that in addition to Poland, the purchases of Greece, Singapore, Spain and Romania will follow.
With the purchase of the F-35 Poland consolidates its tendency to increase defense spending year by year. Poland is one of the seven NATO members that spends more than 2% of its annual gross domestic defense product.