This is the third Polish JASSM acquisition to date, bolstering the nation’s deterrence capabilities.
On May 28. 2024, Poland procured another batch of JASSM-ER (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range) missiles. Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Polish Deputy PM and the Head of the MoD signed a new contract to procure the weapons, worth USD 735 million. The State Department had approved the deal, covering a maximum of 821 missiles, in March 2024.
The procurement contract was signed at the Military Foreign Affairs Department in Warsaw by the Armament Agency, on behalf of the Polish MoD.
The ceremony involved Deputy PM/Head of the MoD Władysław Koosiniak-Kamysz, MoD’s Secretary of State Paweł Bejda, Head of the Armament Agency Brig. General Artur Kuptel, and the US Ambassador to Poland, Mark Brzezinski.
Zamawiamy setki pocisków powietrze-ziemia #JASSM -ER dla polskiego lotnictwa bojowego. Podpisaliśmy dziś niezwykle strategiczny kontrakt umacniający bezpieczeństwo 🇵🇱obywateli. Skuteczne odstraszanie jest jednym z filarów budowy potencjału obronnego #WojskoPolskie .🪖 pic.twitter.com/bt2F2wrZLn
— Paweł Bejda (@pawelbejda) May 28, 2024
Compared to the previous contracts regarding the AGM-158 that Poland concluded in the past, the new deal is much larger: 40 missiles were procured in 2014 and 70 (-ER) ones were acquired in 2018. The MoD mentioned several hundred missiles, without pointing to a specific number in this case.
Interestingly, last year Poland also expressed its interest in the AGM-158D JASSM-XR (expected to offer a range of 1600-1900 kilometres), that have ultimately been designated AGM-158B-2.
The Head of the MoD said that “this is not a procurement of tactical nature, it is a procurement that remains strategic. This is strategic equipment of the Polish military, changing our position, and our capabilities in the airspace, pertaining to defense and deterrence. It is a key contract.“
The Head of the MoD also said that the deliveries are expected to be imminent, and they are to be finalized as early as in 2026, Rzeczpospolita outlet reports. He additionally noted that the JASSM procurement is tied to the procurement of the Barbara aerostat-borne radars and that these two shall be perceived as connected.
The Polish Air Force is soon going to operate two fighter platforms capable of launching the JASSM missile: the F-16 (already in the inventory) and the F-35. The first F-35 is to be handed over next year. However, as in the case of the remaining European users of the Lightning II, the first Polish F-35s will be stationed in the CONUS throughout the initial post-delivery period.
The Polish JASSM acquisitions date back to the Polish MoD’s “Polskie Kły” (Polish Claws) concept that envisaged procurement of armament that would serve as a means of deterrence. The program also included the Acquisition of HIMARS MLRS and Orka new generation submarines that are to carry cruise missiles.
Recently, the Netherlands also decided to procure JASSM-ER in a number of 120 examples. The JASSM-ER current and prospective user group also includes U.S., Finland, Australia, Germany, and Japan.
Standing contributor for TheAviationist. Aviation photojournalist. Co-Founder of DefensePhoto.com. Expert in linguistics, Cold War discourse, Cold War history and policy and media communications.
