The State Department has approved the sale of the United States’ most advanced, stealthy cruise missile to Poland. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Monday announced the $200 million sale of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range to Poland, according to a news release. The sale includes 70 of the Lockheed Martin-made missiles, along with flight test vehicles, simulators, and F-16 upgrade kits. The sale, which needs to be approved by Congress, “will contribute to the foreign policy and the national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a NATO ally,” DSCA said in the release, which noted that Poland is “an important force for political stability and economic progress in Central Europe.” Lockheed in September delivered its 2,000th JASSM to the Air Force, which is designed to defeat “high value, well-defended” current and future threats. The extended range variant of the missile has more than two and a half times the range of the base JASSM, according to Lockheed.
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.