On Friday, January 16, 2026, the Agencja Uzbrojenia announced the signing of documents enabling the integration of short-range air-to-air RTX AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles and regulating the delivery schedule of 36 KAI FA-50PL (Block 20) light combat aircraft manufactured by Korea Aerospace Industries.
Photo: 31st Tactical Air Base in Poznań-Krzesiny
AIM-9X Sidewinder
On Tuesday, January 13, 2026, an agreement was signed with the Government of the United States covering support for the full integration of AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles with FA-50PL aircraft, thereby strengthening the Polish Armed Forces in the area of air defense and increasing interoperability with NATO allies, particularly in Air Policing missions and close air support for the Land Forces.
The AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missiles are the latest version of the Sidewinder family and have been in serial production since 2004 (the 10,000th missile was delivered in July 2021). They are equipped with an imaging infrared (IIR) seeker. The missile can engage targets beyond visual range, including in the rear hemisphere of the launching aircraft, with post-launch target acquisition. In the latest Block II+ variant, upgrades are being developed to the electronics, guidance, and sensor systems.
In recent months, approval to procure AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles has been granted to Turkey, the Netherlands, Romania, Japan, South Korea, Finland, Canada, Norway, Belgium, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (for Belgium, Italy, and Romania), and Denmark. Italy has also announced plans for additional purchases. Small batches of these missiles have likewise been included in packages with F-35A or F-16C/D Block 70 aircraft for various countries, including Germany, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Turkey.
It is also worth noting that the older, already-operated FA-50GF aircraft will temporarily receive AIM-9P missiles and, ultimately, AIM-9L, and that a contract has been placed for 100,000 rounds of 20 mm ammunition. Earlier reports also mentioned negotiations related to South Korean LIG Nex1 KGGB (Korean GPS Guided Bomb) precision-guided munitions.
Deliveries of FA-50PL
Previously, on Friday, January 9, 2026, an annex was signed between the State Treasury – Agencja Uzbrojenia and South Korea’s Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). The annex updates the delivery schedule for 36 FA-50PL aircraft.
Under the signed annex, taking into account the current geopolitical situation, realistic supply chains, and the aircraft production process, the first platform is to be delivered in mid-2027, with completion of deliveries expected in early 2029.
This represents a delay compared to the schedule presented during the September session of the Standing Subcommittee for the Polish Defence Industry and the Technical Modernization of the Polish Armed Forces, operating within the Sejm National Defence Committee. That earlier timeline envisaged deliveries in 2026–2028, including 12 aircraft in 2026, 12 in 2027, and 12 in 2028—a schedule that had already been reported by Korean media in May. Notably, the first FA-50PL prototype’s maiden flight, originally announced for November last year, has still not taken place.
What’s Next for Poland’s FA-50s?
In late December 2025, the Deputy Commander General of the Armed Forces, Maj. Gen. Ireneusz Nowak, stated in an interview that the FA-50GF Fighting Eagle aircraft operated by Poland – 12 aircraft stationed at the 23rd Tactical Air Base in Mińsk Mazowiecki – will not undergo modernization or conversion to the target FA-50PL configuration. As emphasized, such a modification would be uneconomical and unjustified (see: What’s next for Poland’s FA-50GF Fighting Eagles?).
Earlier, on October 20, 2025, the U.S. company Raytheon (part of RTX) announced that it had delivered to Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) the first PhantomStrike AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar, which will be fitted, among others, to Poland’s FA-50PL aircraft.
The FA-50 Fighting Eagle is a South Korean light, twin-seat combat aircraft equipped with advanced sensor fusion and flight control systems, modern avionics, and a fire-control radar. Its armament includes an internal 20 mm M197 cannon (derived from the M61A2 Vulcan) and a wide range of external stores, including AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120C AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missiles, as well as several types of aerial bombs. Propulsion is provided by an afterburning turbofan engine rated at 17,700 lbf (79 kN) of thrust. The aircraft has an operational range of 1,800 km and a maximum service ceiling of 14.6 km. Its empty weight is 6.47 metric tons, with a maximum takeoff weight of 12.3 metric tons, allowing it to carry up to 4.5 metric tons of ordnance.
Podpisaliśmy dwa dokumenty w programie systemu uzbrojenia FA-50PL.
➡️Pierwszym jest umowa umożliwiająca integrację pocisków AIM-9X #Sidewinder.
➡️Drugim jest aneks z #KAI aktualizujący harmonogram dostaw samolotów FA-50PL.https://t.co/Vpsx9KsYo7
Fot. 31 BLT pic.twitter.com/c8ViMc4380
— Agencja Uzbrojenia (@AgencjaUzbr) January 16, 2026