The Polish Air Force has in its combat inventory a unique trio of types. Owing to decades of influence from the former Soviet Union, Poland initially procured the entirety of its fighter force from the communist bloc. Latterly, however, Poland finally had the chance to source its equipment from a broader market, allowing for inclusion of F-16C/Ds in its inventory. These are accompanied by Cold War era MiG-29s and a type used only by a handful of other countries, the Sukhoi Su-22 (NATO reporting name: Fitter).
The Polish Air Force recently provided outsiders an opportunity to observe all three Poland’s ‘Unique fighter types flying side by side in the air, with photos taken from a C-295M transport aircraft stationed at 8 Airlift Base in Kraków.
From the oldest to the newest in the inventory, the Su-22 is shown with a new, more modern grey camouflage instead of the old green paint that was better suited for ground attack roles – the primary role of those aircraft. They are the only aircraft in Polish inventory with variable-sweep wings, and capable of carrying nuclear weapons (which Poland does not have). They also have the abilities to perform electronic intelligence and are considered by some as a great asset to sustain the skills of highly trained Polish pilots and prevent them from leaving the military before new aircraft arrive. A recent decision has been made to retain 12 single-seat Su-22M4s and six twin-seat Su-22M3Ks, while rest of the 32 aircraft will be withdrawn from service. One of the biggest advantages of these aircraft in Polish service is the massive amount of ordnance available to be used for live firing training. Besides the new camouflage, the 18 modernised Su-22s have new radios and are modified to meet NATO specifications : for instance pilots now see altitude on their flying instruments in feet rather than metres. This modernisation package will allow for a further 10 years or 800 hours of operation.
Trio’
The second aircraft from the Polish trio is the MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum,’ often nicknamed “smoker” owing to the thick smoke emitted by its engines. These were extensively used by the Polish air arm, first inducted in 1989 when twelve of them landed in Mińsk Mazowiecki, one of two MiG bases in Poland (the other is Malbork).
The second batch of nine MiG-29s was acquired from the Czech Republic through a barter transaction for W-3A helicopters. Adecade after the re-unification of Germany, 23 MiG-29s were purchased from the Luftwaffe for the symbolic price of one Euro, with 14 of these entering service and the rest used for parts. Poland’s “smokers” fly missions relating to guarding Polish airspace and meeting Poland’s NATO commitments to protect the Baltic States as part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission. A modernisation programme initiated in 2011 saw part of the Polish MiG-29 fleet receive significant updates. 13 single-seat and three two-seat aircraft received new avionics and paint schemes. One of the most recognisable features of the Polish MiGs are the portraits painted on the insides of their vertical tails, commemorating Polish pilots who flew in the Battle of Britain.
The last of
the Polish fighters is the well known F-16C/D Block 52+. This is a special
variant tailored for Polish needs, with 32 stationed at 31 Tactical Air Base in
Krzesiny near Poznań, and 16 at 32 Tactical Air Base in Łask, near Łódź.
Altogether Poland has bought 32 F-16Cs and 12 F-16Ds with conformal fuel tanks,
Goodrich DB-110 recce pods, AN/AAQ-33 Sniper XR pods, JHMCS helmet sights, and
a diverse arms package. The Polish MOD also recently begun talks with the
United States about buying JASSM-ER stand-off strike missiles.
Each of
these aircraft is often displayed at air shows in Poland and Europe – the F-16
flying solo as the ‘Tiger Demo,’ the MiG-29 as a very popular solo display, and
Su-22s conducting demonstrations in pairs.
Text:
Dr Krzysztof Kuska
Photos:
Piotr Łysakowski/piotrlysakowski.pl