Poles, Eyes On Russia, Sign $4.6B F-35 Deal

WASHINGTON: It’s no surprise, but Poland officially signed a Foreign Military Sales Agreement today to buy 32 F-35As, giving the long-time Russian foe the world’s most advanced fighters to counter its adversary.

“The United States welcomes the Polish government’s decision to purchase 32 F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft worth $4.6 billion under the Foreign Military Sales program,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. The original State Department approval allowed for a price as high as $6.5 billion.

Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak signed the deal today. Polish President Andrzej Duda said it was an “exceptionally important day for Poland’s air force and for the security of Poland and of our part of Europe.” the Associated Press reports. Delivery is scheduled to being in 2024.

Low-rate initial production (LRIP) lot 13 F-35As are already priced below $80 million a copy (including engines) for the so-called flyaway cost. FMS deals, of course, include logistics, training and other support. The F-35As will replace existing Sukhoi Su-22 and Mikoyan MiG-29 Russian aircraft. Poland already flies 48 F-16s.

In addition, Poland signed a $4.8 billion deal with the U.S. for Patriot batteries in 2018.

AFP reports that the Polish “opposition has also denounced the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) government for choosing the F-35 without a call for tenders and for agreeing to a deal without an industrial compensation program.” The absence of offsets — the term of art for such “industrial compensation” — may well have helped lower the final cost of the FMS agreement.