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Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak has announced Poland plans to procure 32 F-35A stealth fighters from the US as part of the Harpia program, and has sent a request for quotation (RfQ) to the US.

“Today we sent a request for quotation to our American partners regarding the purchase of 32 F-35A aircraft along with a logistics and training package,” the minister tweeted.

The F-35 purchase comes as Poland looks to replace its fleet of aging Soviet-era aircraft, made up of MiG-29s and Su-22s, and to augment its fleet of 48 F-16s acquired in recent years.

Polish Air Force MiG-29 (left) and US Air Force F-16 over Poland in 2005. The MiG-29 is among the types to be replaced by the F-35 in Polish service. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Shaun Kerr)

Together with other programs, the procurement of F-35 aircraft has been a priority for the Polish defense community since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Poland plans to spend 185 billion zloty ($48 billion) by 2026 on modernizing its armed forces. At roughly $90 million per aircraft, the purchase of 32 F-35s alone is expected to cost at least $2.5 billion.

As of 2018, Poland is one of seven NATO members to spend 2% or more of its GDP on defense, a guideline agreed upon in 2014. In 2017, Poland agreed to raise defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2032.

In addition to the F-35, other programs include a highly politicized deal for four Augusta Westland AW101 helicopters for the Polish Navy valued at $424 million, and a $4.75 billion deal for US-made Patriot missile systems, the largest arms procurement deal ever in Polish history.

F-22 Raptors fly over Poland near Warsaw in August 2018 as part of flyovers of Warsaw celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Polish Independence. The aircraft were forward deployed to Powidz Air Base, Poland from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. Poland requests further US forward deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joshua Magbanua)

Likewise, the United States is looking to expand its sales of the F-35 to foreign nations. Last month, US Vice Admiral Mathias Winter wrote in a testimony to the House of Representatives that future potential Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers include Singapore, Greece, Romania, Spain and Poland.

Poland is also looking for further forward positioning of US forces in the country, in a potential deal that has become dubbed “Fort Trump,” as a more permanent alternative to the roughly 4,000 US troops already deployed on rotational basis.