Poland will receive a large shipment of American weapons, which will include AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II and AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, as well as JASSM-ER cruise missiles. This will significantly strengthen Polish national security as well as the security of NATO’s eastern border.
As Ukraine is still being torn apart by the Russian invasion, capabilities of long-range weapons like the JASSM-ER are very important for Poland and the entire region.
F-16 Fighting Falcon in service with the Polish Air Force. Image credit: SFJZ13 via Wikimedia (CC BY 2.0)
The JASSM-ER is a new version of JASSM with extended range (ER – Extended Range). It shares 70% of its components with the predecessor, but instead of the usual 370 km, it flies as far as 900-1000 km. Poland has become the second user of these weapons in the world and has about 70 missiles of this type. And now another large batch of these rockets could be coming.
This March, the US State Department approved the sale of up to eight hundred and twenty-one JASSM-ER missiles to Poland for $1.77 billion.
The JASSM-ER entered service in 2014. It is compatible with many different aircraft, including the American strategic bombers B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit, and the B-52 Stratofortress. It can also be launched by a range of jet fighters.
A bit more peculiar capability is launching the JASSM-ER from the Rapid Dragon module, which is basically a palletized cruise missile launcher, which can be deployed from regular military transport aircraft like the C-130 and the C-17. The JASSM-ER has a precision guidance system, based on GPS, inertial navigation system and IR sensors for target detection.
Poland will be able to launch JASSM-ER missiles from its F-16 jet fighters, and in the future, the F-35 will also be armed with them. The JASSM-ER is 4.3 m long and weighs approximately 1,200 kg. It can deliver a warhead weighing 450 kg to a distance of 900-1000 km. It is relatively difficult to detect and take down too, even if it is not actually stealth.
By the way, that 1,000 km range means that, at least theoretically, a JASSM-ER launched in Polish airspace could reach Moscow and St. Petersburg. Although it is only a cruise missile, Russia is clearly paying attention to the attack capabilities that Poland is trying to build up.
Poland reacted to the invasion of Ukraine with determination. It is buying new tanks, artillery systems, missile systems and other weapons. Within a few years, Poland will be one of the strongest military forces in Europe. Hopefully, this military might will not have to be put to combat use, but will work as a strong deterrence instead.
Written by Povilas M.
Sources: Tech.wp.pl, Wikipedia