he Siły Powietrzne (SP, Polish Air
Force) was established in November
1918 – just before Poland regained
independence. Today, the traditional division
between army aviation, naval aviation
and air force has blurred somewhat; the
structure and hierarchy of the SP is not
always easy for outsiders to understand.
Previously, the Siły Zbrojne Rzeczypospolitej
Polskiej (Polish Armed Forces) included
individual commands – naval aviation fell
under Navy Command, Army Command was
responsible for most of the helicopters, and the
remainder came under Air Force Command.
Following 2014’s reorganisation and
headquarters reforms, the division of tasks
was retained within a slightly different military
unit structure, in which all are subject to
the General Commander, who directs the
air arms through the Air Force Inspector. In
the latter role, Gen Jacek Pszczoła – one
of the first Polish F-16 pilots – was recently
replaced by Gen Mirosław Jemielniak.
The government in Warsaw faced heavy
criticism of the reforms from the beginning and
subsequently declared its intention to restore
separate commands for the different branches
of the armed forces. To date, this hasn’t
happened, although the plans are still under
consideration. A change in the subordination
of some units is also under study, most notably
the 7. eskadra działań
specjalnych (7. eds,
7th Special
Operations Squadron),
which could in future
become subordinate to
the forthcoming Command
of Special Forces.
As for the units previously
subordinate to the Air Force
Command, their structure
remains similar and their previous
divisions and tasks have been retained.
The 1. Skrzydło Lotnictwa Taktycznego (1.
SLT, 1st Tactical Air Wing) with its command in
Świdwin includes bases in Świdwin (21. Baza
Lotnictwa Taktycznego, 21. BLT, 21st Tactical Air
Base), Malbork (22. BLT) and Mińsk Mazowiecki
(23. BLT) and, until recently, a reserve airfield –
now a fully fledged base – in Mirosławiec (12.
Baza Bezzałogowych Statków Powietrznych,- BBSP, 12th Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Base). The 2. SLT includes two bases: Poznań-
Krzesiny (31. BLT) and Łask (32. BLT). The 3.
Skrzydło Lotnictwa Transportowego (3. SLTr,
3rd Transport Air Wing) includes three bases,
in Warsaw (1. Baza Lotnictwa Transportowego, - BLTr, 1st Transport Air Base), Kraków (8.
BLTr) and Powidz (33. BLTr). Finally, the 4.
Skrzydło Lotnictwa Szkolnego (4. SLSz, 4th
Training Air Wing) includes bases in Dęblin (41
Baza Lotnictwa Szkolnego, 41. BLSz, 41st
Training Air Base) and Radom (42. BLSz).
1st Tactical Air Wing
This wing still employs Soviet-built equipment:
the MiG-29 and Su-22. Both are theoretically
multi-role, but in practice there’s a clear divisionof tasks between the bases
in Mińsk, Malbork and
Świdwin. The first two are
strictly air defence bases,
where the task of protecting
Polish airspace is the priority.
MiG-29 crews, together with
F-16 crews, share quick reaction
alert (QRA) duties within the NATO
Integrated Air and Missile Defence
System (NATINAMDS), not only in Poland, but
also under the Baltic Air Policing tasking (so far,
six out of seven Polish missions in the Baltic
States have been carried out by the 1. SLT).
Su-22 crews mostly perform strike tasks,
usually exercising with both the army and
navy. They also conduct reconnaissance with
the KKR-1 pod and launch SRCP-WR aerial
targets for training air defences. None of the
wing’s three bases has been as thoroughly
modernised as Łask, Dęblin or Krzesiny.Fulcrum fl eet
Polish MiG-29s originate from three sources:
the original purchase from the Soviet Union
(12 airframes), an ‘exchange’ with the Czech
Republic (ten), and a purchase from Germany
for a symbolic €1 (22, not all of which were
introduced to service). Initially, the Soviet- and
Czech-supplied machines flew exclusively
from the 23. BLT in Mińsk Mazowiecki, but
some were later transferred to Malbork.
Ultimately, a standard complement of 13
single-seat and three two-seat aircraft
was established at each base.T
Above: The M-346 is the most recent addition to the SP inventory. The advanced jet trainer
began operations at the 41. BLSz in February and will ultimately allow F-16 pilots to be
trained in country. Filip Modrzejewski Main image: Specially painted two-seat Su-22UM3K
serial 305 from the 21. BLT wears titles of the constituent 8. elt. Flying in formation with an
F-16 in typical air defence confi guration, the ‘Fitter’ carries KMGU submunitions dispensers
and R-60 air-to-air missile training rounds underwing. All photos Bartek Bera unless stated
http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #369 DECEMBER 2018 // 49
remains similar and their previous
divisions and tasks have been retained.of tasks between the bases
in Mistrictly air defence bases,
where the task of protecting
Polish airspace is the priority.
MiG-29 crews, together with
F-16 crews, share quick reaction
alert (QRA) duties within the NATO
Integrated Air and Missile Defence