Poland Cleared for $1.85B U.S. F-35 Sustainment Package

The U.S. State Department has approved a possible $1.85 billion Foreign Military Sale to Poland covering F-35 sustainment, logistics, and program support, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced after notifying Congress.

Poland requested equipment and services to maintain its F-35 fleet, including participation in the aircraft engine Component Improvement Program (CIP). The package also covers major and minor modifications, spare parts, consumables, repair and return support, weapon system and software upgrades, technical documentation, clothing and individual equipment, as well as U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics services.

The principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin.

The sustainment package comes shortly after Warsaw approved a $3.8 billion upgrade to its F-16 fleet earlier this month. Both initiatives are part of Poland’s broader military modernization effort as the country faces heightened security concerns due to the Russia-Ukraine war and threats from Moscow.

In 2019, it requested the purchase of 32 F-35A Lightning II aircraft for $6.5 billion, becoming the first F-35 operator in Eastern Europe. The country unveiled its first aircraft in August 2024, followed by a milestone flight by a Polish pilot in Arkansas in February 2025. By May, the first group of Polish F-35 pilots completed training, becoming the first foreign servicemen trained at Ebbing Air National Guard Base.