Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on August 13, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Add as preferred source on GooglePoland signs a $3.8 billion contract to upgrade its F-16 jets, enhancing defense capabilities with improved technology and collaboration with South Korea.
WARSAW (Reuters) -Poland has signed a contract worth $3.8 billion to upgrade its fleet of F-16 fighter jets, the Polish defence minister said on Wednesday.
Poland has been ramping up defence spending since the start of the war in Ukraine and plans to allocate 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) to its armed forces in 2026.
The country has 48 F-16C/D Block 52+ aircraft which were delivered to the country between 2006 and 2008, state news agency PAP reported.
Polish Defence Minister Wladysław Kosiniak-Kamysz told a news conference that the modernisation work would take place at the Wojskowe Zaklady Lotnicze Nr 2 military aviation plant in the northern city of Bydgoszcz.
"The current capabilities of the F-16 in the CD version are good, but after 20 years, they are insufficient against threats," he told a news conference."
"We must improve reconnaissance capabilities, communication, integration with F-35s, Abrams tanks, and Apaches, as well as the ability to operate in every domain."
Earlier this month Poland signed a second multi-billion dollar deal with South Korean industrial and defence group Hyundai Rotem for the supply of battle tanks.
(Reporting by Alan Charlish; Editing by Toby Chopra)
Poland has signed a contract worth $3.8 billion to upgrade its fleet of F-16 fighter jets.
Poland has 48 F-16C/D Block 52+ aircraft, which were delivered between 2006 and 2008.
The modernization aims to improve reconnaissance capabilities, communication, and integration with F-35s, Abrams tanks, and Apaches.
The modernization work will take place at the Wojskowe Zaklady Lotnicze Nr 2 military aviation plant in northern Poland.
Earlier this month, Poland signed a multi-billion dollar deal with South Korean industrial and defense group Hyundai Rotem for the supply of battle tanks.
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