Poland has signed a $735 million contract with the US for the supply of AGM-158B JASSM-ER (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range) missiles, Minister of National Defense Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz announced on Tuesday.
The specific quantity of JASSM-ER cruise missiles purchased by Poland has not been revealed. The Polish Ministry of National Defence has indicated that the agreement includes “several hundred” missiles. In March 2024, the United States Department of State authorized a potential sale of up to 821 JASSM-ER missiles to Poland.
Poland continues to spend heavily to bolster its armed forces since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with Warsaw currently spending around 4% of its gross domestic product on defence this year.
The JASSM is a conventional and stealthy ground attack cruise missile that is launched from the air. It was specifically designed for the US Air Force and its international partners.
In addition to the standard variant, an extended-range version called AGM-158B JASSM-ER was developed and became operational in 2014.
The JASSM is equipped with a low-observable airframe, which enables it to engage various targets, including enemy air defences effectively. This feature is particularly crucial due to the increasing presence of advanced air defence systems like the S-300.
Furthermore, the JASSM-ER will eventually incorporate a weapons data link (WDL), allowing for post-launch course corrections. This upgrade is of utmost importance when engaging road-mobile and maritime targets.
