The Polish defense ministry's procurement department, the Armament Agency (Agencja Uzbrojenia) has officially announced a firm contract has been signed on the supply of AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder air-to-air missiles to the Poland's Armed Forces. The missile will be used on F-16 and similar multirole fighters and is compatible with the NASAMS surface-based air defense system if Warsaw decides to acquire them.
In total, Poland is purchasing 232 AIM-9X missiles, the value of the deal is $175 million, as announced by Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Bejda. In addition to the delivery coming 2028 through 2030, the contract covers "additional elements, including spare parts, a logistics and training package," the Armament Agency noted.
Read more: A Hundred Missiles by 2030: How Much an AIM-9X Costs, in Money and Time
Dokonało się! Po 8 miesiącach od uzyskania zgody Kongresu USA dopełniliśmy zakupu 232 pocisków AIM-9X dla obecnych i przyszłych samolotów bojowych. Dziś @AgencjaUzbr podpisała umowę za ok. 175 mln dolarów. Dostawy od 2028 roku.@MON_GOV_PL @Defence24pl @Polska_Zbrojna pic.twitter.com/8d2MzJJs5B — Paweł Bejda (@pawelbejda) November 29, 2024
A rough calculation points to the approximate price per one AIM-9X Block II missile: USD 754,310 in a finalized agreement with a NATO member.
By the way, this case illustrates that the export permits issued by U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) operate with the maximum estimated price while the final amount written down in the contract may differ: in March 2024, such a permit priced 232 missiles of the same AIM-9X type at $219.1 million for Warsaw, or $944,390 per missile. That is, the difference between the estimated and actual price is $190,000 apiece.
Though no less important than the cost and quantity is the time needed for delivery. As mentioned, the tarnsfers of AIM-9X missiles to Poland will begin only in 2028 and continue arriving in batches for two more years.
Poland will use these missiles with F-16, F-35, and FA-50 fighter jets. For context, the AIM-9X Block II belongs to the short-range air-to-air missile class, and it relies on an infrared (heat-seeking) homing head for guidance. When launched from an aircraft, its operational range is around 30–40 kilometers (22 to 25 mi). In contrast, when used as an air defense interceptor from the ground, the range drops to 10–12 km (6 to 7.5 mi).
This missile is the second main air combat missile for American fighter aircraft. For engaging targets at longer distances, they use AIM-120 with its 160 km range in the C-8 modification. The AIM-120 missile cost ranges from $1.4 million for the U.S. Armed Forces to $2 or 2.7 million for export, according to DSCA contracts.

That is why the AIM-9X is a more budget-friendly option for destroying air targets — which means cruise missiles in the modern-day realities. Spending a Sidewinder to intercept cheaper targets like drones may be economically unsound.
Instead, other air defense weapons are usually deployed such as the APKWS laser-guided rockets. These have proven particularly successful during a 2019 experiment by the U.S. Air Force involving F-16s effectively shooting down target drones with APKWS missiles.
There is also visual evidence of APKWS successfully used to take down russian-iranian Shahed-136 loitering munitions in Ukraine.
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