AEROMEDIA
The Italian Aerospace Information Web
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Poland updates their armed forces

Poland, which joined NATO in 1999, is progressively reshaping and updating the flying components of their national armed forces. The ongoing reequipment is also aimed to better fit the new and more demanding NATO warfare standards.
Recently the Polish Navy took delivery of two factory fresh PZL-Mielec M-28TD Bryza twin turboprop transports and two M-28E environment reconnaisance variants. New rotary wing aircraft joined the Navy as well: a single PZL-Swidnik W-3 for SAR missions and two Mil Mi-17 Hip for general transport duties went to the 1st Air Squadron based at Gdynia Babie Doly, and two Mil Mi-14PL Haze dedicate anti-sub helicopters joined the 2nd Air Squadron at Siemirowice.
In addition to 128 Leopard 2 tanks to the Polish Army, Germany recently sold to Poland 23 MiG-29 single and two seater fighters. The Luftwaffe inherited these Russian-built aircraft from the former DDR air force and they were succesfully retained in active service by the JG73 at Laage.Some years ago, the German Fulcrums received NATO-standard avionics and equipments to gain full operational harmonization inside the Western air forces. With the delivery of the former German MiG-29, the Polish Air Force will now be able to accelerate the phasing out of older MiG-21s which are increasingly difficult to maintain in combat if not flyable condition.

PZL-Mielec M28RM Bryza-1R of Polish Navy, serial 1115, on static display at Paris Air Show 2001. (photo by Aeromedia)

(Aeromedia, January 2002)