The United States government has granted permission to integrate AIM-120C AMRAAM air-to-air missiles into Poland’s FA-50PL light fighter jets.
The information was shared by the Polish newspaper Zbiam, citing an interview with Irenaeusz Nowak, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Polish Armed Forces. According to the general, the U.S. authorized the use of AIM-120C-5/7/8 variants, which are the same missiles previously acquired by Poland for its F-16C/D fleet.
Discussions are still ongoing regarding whether the integration will be carried out under the Foreign Military Sales program, which involves procurement through the U.S. government, or through Direct Commercial Sales (DCS).
Although it represents only the first step, the political approval for integrating new missiles into Poland’s light fighters already alleviates concerns about the aircraft’s range limitations, which were previously restricted to the use of short-range AIM-9X missiles.
At the same time, Poland is evaluating expanding the platform’s capabilities with the integration of high-precision air-to-ground weapons, such as Brimstone missiles from MBDA and Barracuda 500 systems from Anduril, whose production is expected to take place in the country.
In this context, General Novak highlighted that the revised schedule is already underway, with tests conducted in South Korea, including aerial refueling exercises with an Airbus A330 MRTT.
The original timeline, which foresaw deliveries between 2025 and 2028, has been revised, with the first FA-50PL expected by mid-2027 and all 36 aircraft to be delivered by early 2029. The delay is attributed to factors such as supply chain issues, integration of U.S. avionics and weapons, and the geopolitical situation.
Photo: Polish Armed Forces. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
