Poland secures $4 billion US military financing for additional F‑35 fighter jets

The United States announced a new $4 billion loan for Poland under the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program, bringing the total FMF assistance available to Warsaw to almost $20 billion. The funding will support the purchase of further F‑35 fifth‑generation fighter jets, adding two more squadrons to the 64‑aircraft fleet outlined in Poland’s 2025‑2039 defence development plan.

The inaugural flight of the first Polish F‑35s was marked by a ceremony attended by Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak‑Kamysz, U.S. FMF representative Thomas DiNanno, and President Karol Nawrocki. Poland, now the first NATO member on the eastern flank to operate the stealth jet, has earmarked defence spending of 4.8 % of GDP by 2026 and remains Europe’s largest purchaser of American weapons.

The agreement follows earlier FMF loans, including a similar $4 billion tranche concluded last July, and reflects Warsaw’s broader push to modernise its armed forces in response to regional security concerns.