The US State Department has greenlit the possible $180-million sale of precision-guided bombs to Poland.
Warsaw requested 1,400 GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDB-I) and four GBU-39 (T-1)/B inert practice bombs with fuzes, along with tactical training rounds, components, and other related logistics and support elements.
The Boeing-manufactured bombs are expected to be equipped on the upgraded Polish F-16V Jastrząb and F-35A Husarz fighter aircraft, enhancing their air-to-ground strike capabilities and reinforcing NATO’s Eastern Flank.
Precision Munition
The GBU-39/B is a 250-pound (113 kilograms) precision munition with GPS/INS navigation, capable of striking targets up to 46 miles (74 kilometers) away.
Its compact size reduces collateral damage and lets its launching aircraft carry up to four bombs per pylon using the BRU-61/A smart carriage, quadrupling the payload per sortie.
Defense Buying Spree
As a NATO member and staunch ally of Ukraine, Poland has been eyeing a rise in defense spending from 4.7 percent to around 5 percent of GDP by 2026.
In the first half of 2025, Warsaw has been busy modernizing its military and deepening interoperability with Western allies, acquiring a nearly $2-billion Patriot air defense system, $1.33 billion in medium-range air-to-air missiles, and $745 million in anti-radiation missiles from the US.
Additionally, the NATO member purchased 10,000 Warmate kamikaze drones, Tarantula unmanned ground systems, and Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles, among several other defense acquisitions.
