Poland will buy long-range missiles worth EUR 677 million from the US

Poland will buy long-range missiles worth EUR 677 million from the United States to boost its defence capabilities and counter potential Russian threats, Warsaw said.

The contract, which has yet to be formally signed, is part of a rapid modernisation of the Polish army accelerated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"The war in Ukraine has shown how important it is to be able to fire missiles at targets even far from the front line, and the range of the missiles to be purchased is about 1,000 km," the Polish defence ministry said.

The so-called Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) will be delivered between 2026 and 2030, the ministry added.

Poland already has JASSM missiles with a range of 370 kilometres, which are used by its US-built F-16 multi-role fighter aircraft.

Warsaw has increased its defence budget to around four per cent of GDP, the highest among NATO countries.

It has also embarked on a series of billion-dollar military equipment purchases, mainly from the US and South Korea. / BGNES