Polish Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced on Thursday (Mar. 28) that his country would receive advanced missile systems from the United States after lawmakers in Capitol Hill approved such a sale to a fellow NATO ally.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the deal would include the long-range AGM-158B JASSM-ER, the medium-range AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM, and the short-range AIM-9X Sidewinder for the Polish Air Force's warplanes.
Bardzo dobra wiadomość dla naszego wojska. Kongres USA zaakceptował sprzedaż Polsce lotniczych środków bojowych: JASSM-ER, AMRAAM oraz AIM-9X. To w znaczący sposób wzmocni nasze zdolności odstraszania i obrony.
— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) March 28, 2024
"This is very good news for our military," Kosiniak-Kamysz, who also holds the defense portfolio in Prime Minister Donald Tusk's cabinet, wrote. "This will significantly strengthen our deterrence and capabilities."
The purchase of advanced American missile technology came as Poland is on its way to bolster its defenses to deter Russia and protect NATO's eastern flank, the Polish Press Agency reported.
Pentagon: Missile Deal with Poland a Deterrent vs. Russia
In mid-March, the US State Department agreed to sell Warsaw 821 JASSMs for a maximum price of $1.77 billion, 745 AMRAAMs for $1.7 billion, and 232 Sidewinders for $219 million.
Additionally, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan revealed that President Joe Biden intended to provide Poland with a $2 billion loan to purchase American weapons on top of the missile deal and offer the sale of 96 Apache attack helicopters, which the State Department formally approved last year.
The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) also said that the missile sale would "support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives" of both the US and Poland.
"This sale will further advance the already high level of Polish Air Force interoperability with US joint forces and other regional and NATO forces," the agency added.
Polish Soldiers to Help Local Security Forces in Paris Olympics
Meanwhile, Polish public broadcaster TVP reported that a contingent of Polish military personnel would be sent to Paris to augment the security forces deployed in the French capital later this year.
Siły Zbrojne RP dołączą do międzynarodowej koalicji powołanej przez Francję w celu wsparcia przygotowań i zabezpieczenia Letnich Igrzysk Olimpijskich w 2024 roku. Do Paryża zostanie skierowana grupa zadaniowa naszych żołnierzy, w tym przewodników z psami. Jej głównym celem…
— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) March 28, 2024
"A task force of our soldiers, including dog handlers, will be sent to Paris," Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote in a separate X post on Thursday. "Its main goal will be to undertake activities related to detecting explosives and counteracting terrorist activities."
The announcement came after the French government raised the country's terrorist threat to its highest-ever level following last week's mass shooting incident at a music venue in Moscow, where over 140 people were gunned down.
Franco-Polish defense and security cooperation run deep into the histories of both nations. Aside from being members of NATO and the European Union, their diplomatic relations can be traced back to the Renaissance era, when King Henry III of France was first elected King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575.
French and Polish royal houses have also intermarried into their families, culminating in the marriage of King Louis XV and his Polish wife, Queen Marie Leczinska, the parents of Louis XVI, the last King of France.
However, a more prominent alliance between France and Poland happened during the Napoleonic era, when exiled Polish troops joined Napoleon's army to regain their country after being partitioned three times in the 18th century.
