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personnel, all seated
facing forwards. The crew
consists of two pilots,
a flight technician and,
depending on the mission,
two or three system operators.
An-28B1RM BIS (Bryza Bis) –
a single example of this type is
currently in the Polish fleet. The
machine entered service in March

2008. It differs from the older
      An-28B1R in having a modernised
      ARS-800-2 radar with terrain-
      mapping function. Modifications
      were also made to the landing
      gear. The front wheel is now fully
      retractable, and the main landing
      gear is stowed in a higher position
      than previously. Additionally, the
      Bryza Bis is equipped with a MAG-
      10 system to detect submarines

which is complemented by

floating beacons that transfer

data to the HYD-10 system.

The modernisation package

also included a passive ESM-

10 electronic intelligence (ELINT)

system and a FLIR Systems

Star SAFIRE II unit with a laser

rangefinder. The cabin has four

operator consoles – two facing

forwards and two facing the side

of the aircraft. The crew consists

of two pilots, a flight technician

and up to four system operators,

depending on the mission.

An-28E – this is a dedicated

environmental monitoring aircraft

rebuilt from a standard transport

version. The An-28E is equipped

with an MSS-500 side-looking radar

and an under-fuselage scanner to

track pollution on the surface of

the sea. One of the two converted

Bryzas was fitted with additional fuel

tanks that increase flight time from

four to six hours. Once in service,

both aircraft received an automatic

identification system (AIS) to monitor

surface ships. The crew consists

of two pilots, a flight technician

and two system operators.

Future plans

Due to the limited space and

available equipment on the

diminutive Bryza, the Polish defence

ministry launched a tender for a new

MPA. The complex modernisation

programme aims to bring modern

capabilities to the BLMW in two

stages – codenamed Płomykówka

(barn owl) and Rybitwa (tern).

According to information

provided to AFM by the armament

inspectorate, the Płomykówka

project should provide signals

intelligence (SIGINT), imagery

intelligence (IMINT) and radar

intelligence (RADINT) capabilities.

A market analysis for this first

phase ended last May. Several

companies provided details of

their aircraft, including Airbus

Defence and Space, Saab, Elbit

Systems, Elta Systems, Leonardo

and Sierra Nevada Corporation.

Earlier reports suggested that three

aircraft may be acquired by 2023.

On April 28 last year, the

armament inspectorate issued a

paper inviting companies to provide

technical data of their MPA aircraft

for the Rybitwa programme. Based

on this data and the needs of the

armed forces, the inspectorate will

prepare the requirements for the

new aircraft. This phase is planned

to address capabilities including

maritime reconnaissance, ASW

and anti-surface warfare. The

conceptual phase is planned to end

in September. This programme is

also likely to call for three aircraft,

to be procured between 2023

and 2030. Krzysztof Kuska

ORBAT

Unit Aircraft Base

44. Baza Lotnictwa Morskiego/
    ‘Kaszubska’ Grupa Lotnicza

An-28B1R (M28 Bryza), An-

28B1RM BIS (Bryza Bis), An-28E

Siemirowice

The BLMW’s fl eet of seven An-28B1R

(M28 Bryza) aircraft entered service

from October 1994. The navy is now

looking at a two-phased approach to

replace the Bryza with a larger and

more capable MPA. Piotr Łysakowski

http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #361 APRIL 2018 // 75