Trump administration approves F-35 jet sale to Poland | World Defense

Trump administration approves F-35 jet sale to Poland

Khafee

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Trump administration approves F-35 jet sale to Poland
11 Sept 2019
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Washington (CNN)The Trump administration has approved the potential sale of 32 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets to Poland, a sale valued at $6.5 billion.
The administration formally notified Congress of the sale on Tuesday.

The advanced stealth fighter "will enhance the Polish Air Force's contributions to NATO and/or other coalition operations, improve Poland's self-defense capabilities, and contribute to Poland's goal of modernizing its military capabilities while further enhancing interoperability with the United States, NATO members, and other allies," the Defense Department said in a statement.

In June, a US Marine Corps F-35 fighter jet conducted a flyover during Polish President Andrzej Duda's White House visit with President Donald Trump.
Poland has been steadily increasing its defense spending, in part due to Warsaw's concerns about Russia following Moscow's military incursion into Ukraine.

The F-35 stealth jet has been called the most expensive weapons system in history, and its development was beset by multiple delays before it was deemed combat ready.

Poland is one of only a handful of NATO members that spends the NATO recommended 2% of GDP on defense. It also meets the other NATO target of spending more than 20% of its defense budget on equipment.

The $6.5 billion jet purchase represents a major share of Polish defense spending as the country was projected to spend about $11.9 billion on defense in 2019, according to NATO statistics.

Among America's European allies, Norway, Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK possess the F-35. Belgium and Denmark are also purchasing the aircraft.

Turkey, which participated in the jet's development, was recently ejected by the US from the program and will no longer be allowed to purchase the aircraft following Turkey's decision to purchase the Russian-made S-400 missile system.

 

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DSCA Notification

Transmittal No: 19-49
WASHINGTON, September 11, 2019 - The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Poland of thirty-two (32) F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft with support for an estimated cost of $6.5 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on September 10, 2019.

Poland has requested to buy thirty-two (32) F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) Aircraft and thirty-three (33) Pratt & Whitney F-135 Engines. Also included are Electronic Warfare Systems; Command, Control, Communications, Computer, and Intelligence/Communications, Navigational, and Identification (C4I/CNI); Autonomic Logistics Global Support System (ALGS); Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS); Full Mission Trainer; Weapons Employment Capability, and other Subsystems, Features, and Capabilities; F-35 unique infrared flares; reprogramming center; F-35 Performance Based Logistics; software development/integration; aircraft ferry and tanker support; support equipment; tools and test equipment; communications equipment; spares and repair parts; personnel training and training equipment; publications and technical documents; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, logistics, and personnel services; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated cost is $6.5 billion.

This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a NATO ally, which is an important force for political stability and economic progress in Europe. This sale is consistent with U.S. initiatives to provide key allies in the region with modern systems that will enhance interoperability with U.S. forces and increase security.

This proposed sale of F-35s will provide Poland with a credible defense capability to deter aggression in the region and ensure interoperability with U.S. forces. The proposed sale will augment Poland’s operational aircraft inventory and enhance its air-to-air and air-to-ground self-defense capability. The Polish Air Force’s legacy MiG-29 and Su-22 fleet will be replaced with F-35s. Poland will have no difficulty absorbing these aircraft into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of this aircraft, systems and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The prime contractors will be Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Fort Worth, Texas; and Pratt &Whitney Military Engines in East Hartford, Connecticut. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale. However, the purchaser typically requests offsets. Any offset agreements will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor(s).

Implementation of this proposed sale will require multiple trips to Poland involving U.S. Government and contractor representatives for technical reviews/support, program management and training over the life of the program. U.S. contractor representatives will be required in Poland to conduct Contractor Engineering Technical Services (CETS) and Autonomic Logistics and Global Support (ALGS) for after aircraft delivery.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded.
 

Jagdkommando

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When pak turn gonna come?? Poland become a big power house
from what I understand, some of Poland's projects are actually running into funding problems, and they had to take loans out to acquire some of these newer weapons.
Pakistan has been given offered many choices FC-31, TF-X etc. but the difference is, PAC can always try and obtain license production or local maintenance, perhaps both, while as Poland as to import their F-35s in built-away condition, as well as send theirs back to a Lockheed plant in the US for maintenance
 

Strike Eagle

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from what I understand, some of Poland's projects are actually running into funding problems, and they had to take loans out to acquire some of these newer weapons.
Pakistan has been given offered many choices FC-31, TF-X etc. but the difference is, PAC can always try and obtain license production or local maintenance, perhaps both, while as Poland as to import their F-35s in built-away condition, as well as send theirs back to a Lockheed plant in the US for maintenance
Doesn't Poland have their own Aviation company, PZL? why can't they license manufacture?
 

Jagdkommando

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Doesn't Poland have their own Aviation company, PZL? why can't they license manufacture?
they do, but Sikorsky bought out PZL Mielec in 2014-15, and they are in contract for license manufacturing the S-70i, which they would were actually to be partially responsible for the Turkish T-70s, notably maintenance however TAI took over both production & maintenance
in other words, it is just cheaper for them to import in fly-away condition and send back to maintenance. from what I heard, PZL Mielec was pushing for a MRO plant but it never been contracted for yet.
 
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