Poland and Slovakia were greenlighted this week for over $350 million in U.S. weapons sales, giving the two eastern flank allies a boost as countries in Russia’s periphery move forward with their respective military buildups.
The State Department gave initial approval to Slovakia for the sale of modern heavy gun tactical vehicles with an estimated worth of $250 million.
Meanwhile, Poland was approved for Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods to support the addition of warplanes to the country’s arsenal. The value of that sale was nearly $125 million.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a NATO ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe,” the State Department said in a statement.
Official notification of the plans was submitted to Congress, which typically approves such transactions as a matter of course.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, many U.S. allies in Eastern Europe have been ramping up spending on an array of weapons systems.
Poland in particular has been on a spending spree, adding weaponry ranging from Abrams tanks and Apache attack helicopters to F-35 fighter planes. Warsaw also has been in the market for numerous South Korean-made systems, including FA-50 fighter jets.
The sale of the sniper pods would improve the tactical effectiveness of FA-50 fighters by enhancing their ability to identify and target enemy positions from a greater distance, the State Department said.
