Posted on 08/22/2013 4:41:03 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Why is Poland purchasing Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles for its F-16s?
As Rzeczpospolita broadsheet reports the Americans will allow Poland to purchase modern JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) missiles for Warsaw’s F-16s.
This will significantly increase the Polish Vipers’ strike capabilities. Poland currently operates 48 F-16 airplanes in Block 52+ variant, where the ‘+’ means they have CFTs (Conformal Fuel Tanks).
The strike capability of JASSM is immense, as it is able to destroy targets at distances of 370 km (ca. 220 miles). This allows the Viper to destroy the target outside of the SAMs (Surface to Air Missiles) envelope, which is a major step in comparison to the current Polish A2G armament which has a maximum range of 70km.
In other words, the AGM-158 might be considered a strategic weapon.
JASSM is a very modern weapon produced by Lockheed Martin. Still its being a long range missile requires the US Department of Defense to accept potential transaction, in cooperation with the US Congress.
The AGM-158 has been used by the Americans since 2003. This is one of the most modern missiles in the world, it uses an unique twin-guiding system. In the first phase of flight, on a very low-level, the missile uses GPS guiding.
In the final phase, seconds before striking the target the missile uses optical-electronic guiding.
Image Credit: Australian DoD
The spokesman of the Polish MoD informs that currently the Ministry is awaiting for the US consent.
The Rzeczpospolita daily speculates that no formal documents would be sent to the US without the deal being accepted, and the documents have already been passed on to the US, therefore the purchase of the missiles is almost certain.
What is not established though is the number of missiles to be purchased and the price. I
n the light of the latest budget cuts in the defense sector (this year the MoD received a warning that they might not receive all the money allocated to them), it is still a tricky question. Nevertheless it is not until 2015 that the Vipers might get the missiles.
Poland is to be the third foreign JASSM user right after Australia and Finland who bought the weapon after 5 years of negotiations for their F/A-18 Hornet jets. Finland bought 70 missiles at the price of 180 million dollars.
According to the Dziennik Zbrojny’s analysis, the Finnish purchase had several dimensions, not only strategic but also political.
After all, JASSM is not an easy weapon to buy.
Firstly, the missile purchase is a strategy that will allow the US to relocate own forces to the Pacific region, as the Baltic is quite hard to reach for the Americans.
What is more, Finland is considered to be stable when it comes to the political dimension. Even though history of the relations of Finland and Russia is tragic, the relationship is still not as harsh as the one we may witness in Poland. The monuments of Russian emperors still stand in the Scandinavian country.
The Finnish defence potential acts as a deterent towards the Russia in the arctic region and allows the U.S. to act against the Russian fleet.
Finland is aware, how important the asset of JASSM is, as almost whole territory of their country is under an umbrella of the Russian long range S-300 and S-400 SAM systems.
Nonetheless the strategic facilities in Russia might be easy targets for the Finland’s AF, the Northern Fleet being the main one.
Finland is also one of the few European users of MLRS non-guided missiles.
There is a growing concern within the groups of strategists in Poland that the country needs a weapon that would act as a fear-factor tool in the international relations. Still, the JASSM requires good recon before use, due to the fact it is quite an expensive weapon that is to be used mainly against the targets of strategic importance.
Tomasz Szatkowski, who is the head of National Strategic Studies Center says that 1,000km range JASSM variant would be a much better choice. He also claims that Poland needs to obtain submarines with strategic missiles of Tomahawk class.
JASSM will also provide an asset that will partly replace the loss strike capability that will occur with the retirement of the ex-Soviet Su-22M4 Fitter aircraft. Increasing the strike capabilities of F-16s is certainly acting against the deterioration process.
This can also be seen through the light of this year’s Radom Air Show display programme, as the “dogfight” between MiG-29 and F-16 was replaced with a CAS demonstration featuring 2 F-16s.
The JASSM might be a perfect weapon against the mobile command centers, but such use would require closer cooperation with the U.S. in the field of intelligence. What’s more, the 370km of range would allow Polish F-16s to strike the targets in Belarus or Kaliningrad regions.
Currently, the Polish F-16s use, beside the 20mm cannon, AIM-120C-5 and AIM-9X Super Sidewinder AAMs, AGM-65G2 Mavericks and three kinds of bombs: JDAMs, Paveway II and III – laser guided and finally Mk82 and Mk84s.
The Polish Armed Forces currently undergo a large scale modernization programme.
The areas in the aviation to be modernized include the air defence, new VIP and combat support helicopters, UAVs, new simulators and modernization of the transport aircraft.
MoD also considers finding a new assault helicopter to replace the Hind choppers.
Nonetheless the most important programme now aims at finding a new training aircraft. At the beginning it was to be a jet in a LIFT variant (Lead-In Fighter Training), but now the concept has changed and Poland wants to purchase AJT (Advancet Jet Trainer) aircraft. What is more Orlik turboprop trainers also undergo an upgrade programme.
Poland also bought NSM (Naval Strike Missile) systems that extend the capabilities of coastal defence, without the need of purchasing new vessels.
The geopolitical position of Poland requires the country to be a buffer zone between the West and East. On one hand, it is a very delicate role, on the other, though, some experts claim Warsaw needs its own tools to scare-off potential aggressors from the East.
Jacek Siminski for TheAviationist
Why not?
Answer: to hunt bear.
I’d trust the Poles way before trusting the Finns ... or perhaps because the Finns have them that we’re giving them to our Polish friends.
good answer!
Can’t let a reference to the Finnish military go by without a hat tip to Simo Hayha, or as he was called by the Soviets that managed to still be alive after he showed up, White Death...
Good sell
. The Polish are great allies
Uh, because light cavalry doesn’t have much effect on Panzers?
Sorry, but the “light cavalry charge against panzers” never really happened. It was Nazi Propaganda that is still repeated today. There was a commercial that featured the fictitious charge @ 30yrs ago but it was pulled after Poles objected. The poles did have dragoons who used horses to move about but dismounted and fought as infantry during actual engagements (and they had anti-tank rifles). There was at least one incident where the dragoons and/or cavalry broke out of an encirclement and rode through German panzer formations. The Poles inflicted over 60,000 casualties on the Wermacht during the initial invasion alone — and at least as many against the Russians who invaded 16 days after the Germans. They were the ones who provided the Allies with the ENIGMA machine, took the mountain top at Monte Casino, and it was Polish pilots who scored the lion’s share of the kills against the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain. So, please, show a little respect to our most faithful ally.
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
Soviet Invasion 1920 and Nazi invasion 1939.
If I were in their position I would arm for Bear also.
Soviet Invasion 17 Sep 1939, Soviet Re-invasion 1944. Soviet War against the Polish Home Army 1944 to @ 1960. Yup, the Poles don’t like Bears too much....
Cavalry against tanks? Sounds like Strykers or Bradleys against MBTs. Sounds like Afghanistan. Several Javelins or Spikes on a horse back can reach points neither a Stryker nor a Bradley can reach. Ever heard of “Militärvelo”? - The Swiss army bicycle?
BTW Kaliningrad is just about 100 miles away from Gdansk. The center of Kaliningrad could be reached by artillery from the Polish border.
Poland may buy some Dolphin-Type submarines like Israel. At the moment Poland operates just one Kilo-class submarine and 4 German Type 207 submarines built about 1965.
Prosze Bardzo, Verdelet. -— And thank you for your kind comments. An interesting note about my limited knowledge of Polish history, which used to be much more limited: I have and BA is in Russian Studies with a minor in History. Much of my Russian Studies program included European history and Poland was always the minor footnote that was always ignored and trampled underfoot. The Polish contributions were always overlooked as Poland was always regarded as the little country caught between the giants. It wasn’t until I got married to a nice Polish girl whom I met in an Irish pub in Germany, that I began to learn some of the magnificent contributions. I had the opportunity to study with some magnificent Polish-Americans including Professors John Lenczowski and Marek Chodakiewicz at the Institute of World Politics, and began learning some real history. The best book I have ever read on the subject is “A Question of Honor, the Kosciuszko Squadron” by Lynn Olsen and Stanley Cloud.
Yes! I have heard of Private Wojtek,-—the Polish bear of Iranian decent who loved wrestling, cigarettes, beer, and showers. He helped “hump” the artillery rounds to the Polish guns firing at Monte Casino..I am planning on including him in a writing project I am working on that I hope will shed some light on the Polish contributions during WWII.
The book by Wladyslaw Anders —is that THE General Wladyslaw Anders? — I will definitely check out his book along with the others you have recommended. Thanks!
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