Poland Signs $3.8B Deal to Upgrade F-16 Fleet to V Block 72

Poland has signed a $3.8 billion agreement with the United States to modernize its entire fleet of 48 F-16 C/D Block 52 multi-role combat aircraft to the V Block 72 standard, the Ministry of National Defense announced on Wednesday.

The upgrade work will be carried out at Military Aviation Works No. 2 in Bydgoszcz, providing long-term employment and boosting the domestic defense industry.

The agreement was signed by Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, with Deputy Minister Paweł Bejda also present. The modernization will cover not only the aircraft but also radar systems, communications, friend-or-foe identification, simulators, trainers, and ground infrastructure.

Kosiniak-Kamysz said the upgrade will improve interoperability with Poland’s F-35 fighter jets, Abrams tanks, and Apache helicopters. He added that the Foreign Military Financing program had helped secure $11 billion in loan guarantees on favorable terms.

“After 20 years, the current capabilities of the F-16 C/D version are insufficient to address the threats. We need to improve reconnaissance capabilities, communications, and integration with other systems,” he said, adding that the program aims to position Poland among NATO’s top three members in operational capabilities.

The work will begin in 2028 and is expected to run until 2038.

Poland acquired its F-16s in the early 2000s to replace Soviet-era aircraft. They have since been used in national air defense, NATO’s Baltic Air Policing, and various allied missions abroad.