(ConservativeInsider.org) – The Defense Minister of Poland, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, announced on Tuesday, May 28 that Poland signed an agreement with the United States to purchase long-range cruise missiles for $735 million.
The missiles, which are used by F-16 fighter jets, will be a critical part of Warsaw’s increasing defensive capabilities and military power, spurred on by Russia’s invasion of nearby Ukraine, which borders Poland. According to the Polish defense ministry, the JASSM-ER (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range) missiles have a range of 1,000 kilometers, or about 621 miles. Poland is current using JASSM missiles that only have a range of 370 kilometers, or about 230 miles. The missiles are produced by American contractor Lockheed Martin and will be delivered between 2026 and 2030.
Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister of Poland, stated on May 20 that he signed a contract to join the Sky Shield Initiative, which is an air-defense system throughout Europe. Warsaw has increased their defense spending to 4% GDP, which is the most of any NATO member country. Earlier this month, Poland also announced a nearly $1 billion deal with the United States for an airspace reconnaissance system to better monitor and protect their northeastern border.
Even prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Poland began increasing their spending on their defense capabilities, including a $4.6 billion deal with Lockheed Martin in 2020 for more than 30 of their F-35 stealth fighter jets. Members of the Polish military will finally begin their F-35 pilot training this year.
Back in March of this year, a Russian missile fired at Ukraine entered Polish airspace for 39 seconds, leading to discussions among Polish officials about whether or not to shoot down Russian missiles should it happen again. However, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of Poland said there is no possibility that Poland will use their air defense systems outside of Polish airspace. Members of their Foreign Ministry are in discussion with NATO about whether Poland will shoot down Russian missiles that get too close to the Polish border.
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