(MENAFN) Poland has inked a $3.8 billion contract with the US government aimed at upgrading its full fleet of F-16 fighter jets, Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced Wednesday.

In the midst of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, Poland has accelerated its military modernization drive, according to a Polish media outlet.

At the contract signing, Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed the deal covers enhancements for all 48 of Poland’s F-16C/D Block 52+ aircraft, which constitute the backbone of the nation’s combat air power.

He acknowledged that although the current C/D variant is “very good,” after two decades in service it no longer meets the demands of present-day security challenges.

Poland is also set to raise its defense budget from 4.7% of GDP this year to 5% in 2026, a move that would position it among the first NATO members to fulfill the alliance’s newly established spending benchmark agreed upon at the June summit.

Further bolstering its military might, Poland aims to outnumber the combined tank fleets of the UK, Germany, France, and Italy by 2030. This follows a recent multi-billion-euro contract with South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem for 180 additional K2 main battle tanks.

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