Poland outlined major defence spending including an anti-missile system, helicopters and jet fighters on Wednesday, coinciding with concern over NATO and US policy from a new White House.
Eager to shore up the alliance's eastern flank, Polish media reports say military chiefs are in the market for around 100 used US Air Force planes.
Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz told reporters in Warsaw he "didn't rule out the purchase of a large number of F-16 fighter jets, depending on the terms that we get in the ongoing negotiations with the American side."
The spending plans come as Poland last week welcomed the arrival of a US armoured brigade sent by US President Barack Obama's outgoing administration.
It was an unprecedented deployment aimed at deterring Russia after its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
Ranking as one of the largest moves of US forces to Europe since the Cold War, Russia has angrily branded the operation a security "threat" on its doorstep.
NATO will also send four multinational battalions to Poland and each of its three Baltic state members on a rotational basis this year to counter frequent Russian military exercises near the region.
But US President-elect Donald Trump's suggestion that he will seek to improve relations with Russia has caused unease in eastern NATO states formerly under Moscow's control.
Military spending in Poland is on the rise with deals up for grabs.
Last September Macierewicz approached the US firm Raytheon about buying the Patriot mobile air defence missile system, designed to intercept tactical ballistic missiles, low-flying cruise missiles and aircraft.
Local media have valued the deal at an estimated five billion euros ($5.6-billion).
Poland will also splash out around 230 million euros to beef up its cyber defences, Macierewicz said.
Macierewicz confirmed Wednesday that Poland is looking at offers from Lockheed Martin, Leonardo/Finmeccanica and Airbus for 16 military helicopters, without specifying the value of the contract.
Relations with EU partner France soured last October year after Macierewicz dropped a deal with Airbus to buy 50 of its Caracal helicopters for an estimated 3.14 billion euros ($3.51-billion).
Within days of the cancellation, however, Macierewicz announced Poland would buy Black Hawk helicopters from Lockheed Martin.
sw/mas/adm
LOCKHEED MARTIN
FINMECCANICA
AIRBUS GROUP
RAYTHEON
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