WARSAW, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Polish government on Wednesday signed a 1.4-billion-U.S. dollar deal to buy 116 battle tanks from the United States.

The U.S. Department of State last month approved the sale of the M1A1 Abrams tanks to Poland, alongside other military equipment.

In April 2022, Poland signed another deal worth 4.74 billion U.S. dollars with the United States to buy 250 M1A2 Abrams tanks. Polish Deputy Prime Minister and defense chief Mariusz Blaszczak said these tanks will be delivered in late 2024.

The new batch, however, "will become part of the Polish Armed Forces this year," Blaszczak said.

The tanks will be shipped to the east of the country, he explained, adding that the deal will not only boost Poland's security, but "will also increase the security of the entire eastern flank of NATO."