The Pentagon notified Congress of a potential $447 million foreign military sale to Poland for support and munitions, as well as associated equipment, parts, training, and logistical assistance, for its fleet of 48 F-16s. The proposed deal would include 93 AIM-9X-2 Sidewinder Block II missiles, 65 AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium-Range Air to Air Missiles, 42 GBU-49 Paveway II laser guided bombs, 200 GBU-54 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munitions, and several other types of general-purpose armaments, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency’s release. The Poles also would receive 28 night-vision devices, air-combat-maneuvering instrumentation pods, a joint mission-planning system, and five years of follow-on support and sustainment for its F-16 fleet, including overhauls, upgrades, and personnel and training equipment. “The upgrade will allow Poland to continue to bolster its regional leadership while increasing NATO interoperability,” stated DSCA.
The first live-fly dogfights pitting artificial intelligence against human pilots took place last fall, and more tests are planned as the Air Force prepares to launch the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, DARPA and Air Force test officials reported.