Poland's F‑35 Hangar Dispute and Belgium's Planned JSM Missile Purchase

In Poland, construction of hangars for newly bought F‑35 jets sparked controversy after Owens Corning Foamglas warned that substituting extruded polystyrene (XPS) for the originally specified material could compromise structural integrity, increase corrosion risk and breach building regulations. Deputy defence minister Paweł Bejda defended the project, citing compliance with national and NATO standards and noting a cost saving of over 2 million złoty. Prosecutors declined to open an investigation despite parliamentary inquiries.

In Belgium, the U.S. State Department approved a foreign‑military‑sale request for AGM‑184 Joint Strike Missile (JSM) kits intended for the F‑35A fleet. The package, valued up to $236 million, includes missiles, support equipment, training and logistics, with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace as the prime contractor and RTX as intermediary. Belgium joins other NATO members such as Norway, the United States, Japan, Australia and Germany that have already ordered the weapon; Poland has also expressed interest.