Poland set for $7.3 billion F-16 upgrade

Poland is looking to upgrade 48 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 52 fighter aircraft under a FMS deal approved by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and notified to the country’s Congress for approval.

Under the FMS Poland has requested 58 improved programmable display generators (48 installed, 10 spares), 58 AN/APG-83 scalable agile beam radars (48 installed, 10 spares) and 58 embedded global positioning system/inertial navigation systems.

The request also includes 73 AN/ALQ-257 integrated Viper EW suites or 73 AN/ALQ-254V(1) Viper Shield advanced EW suites (48 installed, 12 spares) and 60 modular mission computer 7000AH upgrades, or equivalent (48 installed, 12 spares).

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Aside from onboard systems the deal would also include three AGM-158 missile flight test vehicles (captive carry), three GBU53/B Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB II) guided test vehicles (GTV), eight GBU-53/B captive carry reliability trainers and two (2) SDB I GBU-39(T-1)/B GTV.

Under the upgrade effort Phased Array Warning System (PAWS-2) missile warning systems, Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS II), AN/ARC-238 radios (or equivalent) and AN/APX-126/127 Identification Friend or Foe will also be provided.

Earlier this year Warsaw has requested to buy air-launched missiles including up to 821 AGM-158B-2 missile All-Up-Rounds for US$1.8 billion, 232 AIM 9X Sidewinder Block II missiles under a $219 million package, and 745 AIM-120-8 missiles for $1.7 billion.

The FMS missile request is for weapons for operations from Poland’s F-16 aircraft and the most recent approval sent to Congress supports the improved use of the more powerful weapons.

L3 Harris’s Viper Shield is expected to receive its final software drops in the third quarter of 2025, with deliveries to Lockheed Martin expected to begin in the final third of the year.

The system’s digital radar warning receiver technology is being integrated with the aircraft’s new AN/APG-83, also included the request, will provide earlier threat alerting to the pilot.

Related Equipment in Defence Insight

Viper Shield AN/ALQ-254(V)1

F-16V Block 70/72

F-16C/D Block 25, 30/32, 40/42