Poland’s government announced on Monday the purchase of cruise missiles from the US for 677 million euros to increase the capabilities of the Polish armed forces to counter the potential threat from Russia.

“The war in Ukraine showed the importance of being able to launch missiles against targets far from the front line, and the range of the missiles to be acquired is about 1,000 kilometers,” the Polish Ministry of Defense explained in a press release.

Deliveries of the AGM-158 JASSM-ER (“Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile”) will take place from 2026 to 2030, he clarified.

Poland already has 370km-range JASSM missiles, part of the armament of its air force’s US-made F-16 multi-role fighters.

The contract, which is expected to be signed today, is part of the rapid modernization process of the Polish armed forces that began after the Russian military invaded Ukrainian territory in 2022.

Citing the Russian threat, Poland has rapidly increased its defense budget, which now stands at about 4% of GDP — the highest among NATO member states.

Warsaw spends billions of dollars buying military equipment, mainly from the US and South Korea.