Warsaw has finalized a $3.8-billion agreement with Washington to modernize its fleet of 48 F-16 C/D Block 52 fighter jets, bringing them up to the F-16V Block 72 configuration.
The upgrade program, running from 2028 to 2038, will include improvements to radar, avionics, communications, reconnaissance equipment, infrastructure, and training systems.
Modernization will primarily take place in Poland at Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze No. 2 in Bydgoszcz, with Lockheed Martin as a key partner. Two jets will undergo flight tests in the US, while the rest will be upgraded locally.
The initiative forms part of Poland’s broader armed forces overhaul to address regional threats, particularly from Russia.
The Polish Air Force received its current F-16 fleet between 2006 and 2008 to replace aging Soviet platforms and better align with NATO. Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz has emphasized the need to strengthen their interoperability with Poland’s newer systems, including F-35s, Abrams tanks, and Apache helicopters.
This contract is also linked to the broader $7.3-billion F-16 Viper Midlife Upgrade approved by the US in 2024, which includes AESA radars, electronic warfare suites, navigation systems, and munitions such as AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles.
