Polish Air Force
Polish Air Force | |
---|---|
Siły Powietrzne | |
Founded | de facto: 1917[1] de jure: 1918[2] |
Country | Poland |
Type | Air force |
Role | Aerial warfare |
Size | |
Part of | Polish Armed Forces |
March | Marsz Lotników (March of Aviators)[5] |
Engagements | Polish–Ukrainian War Polish–Soviet War World War II M-28, 737 |
The Polish Air Force (Polish: Siły Powietrzne, lit. 'Air Forces') is the aerial warfare branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej (lit. 'Aerial and Air Defense Forces'). In 2014 it consisted of roughly 16,425 military personnel and about 475 aircraft, distributed among ten bases throughout Poland.
The Polish Air Force can trace its origins to the second half of 1917 and was officially established in the months following the end of World War I in 1918. During the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany in 1939, 70% of its aircraft were destroyed. Most pilots, after the Soviet invasion of Poland on 17 September, escaped via Romania and Hungary to continue fighting throughout World War II in allied air forces, first in France, then in Britain, and later also the Soviet Union.
History
Origins
Military aviation in Poland started even before the officially recognised date of regaining independence (11 November 1918). The very first independent units of the Polish Air Force, in service to the re-emerging Polish sovereign state, were actually formed before, in 1917, before World War I had come to an end.[2] When the Russian Revolution began and the tsardom gradually lost control of the country, Polish pilots took advantage of the chaos and formed spontaneous aerial units in areas of present-day Belarus, south Ukraine, and by the Kuban river.[1] Up until that point Polish pilots had only flown as members of Russian, German or Austro-Hungarian militaries.[2] The first known air force units in service to the re-emerging Polish state were: I Polski Oddział Awiacyjny (1st Polish Aviation Squad) in Minsk formed on 19 June 1917,[1] the 1st and 2nd Aviation Units of the 2nd Corps, the aerial fleet of the 4th Rifle Division, as well as the Samodzielny Polski Oddział Awiacyjny (Independent Polish Aviation Squad) in Odesa.[7]
Establishment
Poland was under German and Austro-Hungarian occupation until
When the
After the Polish-Soviet War ended in 1921, most of the worn out World War I aircraft were gradually withdrawn and from 1924 the air force started to be equipped with new French aircraft. In total in 1918–1924 there were 2160 aircraft in the Polish Air Force and naval aviation (not all in operable condition), in which there were 1384 reconnaissance aircraft and 410 fighters.
The first Polish-designed and mass-produced aircraft to serve in the country's air force was a high wing fighter, the PWS-10, first manufactured in 1930 by the Podlasie Aircraft Factory.
Inter-war years
In 1933, Zygmunt Pulawski's first high wing, all-metal aircraft, the PZL P.7a, was designed and produced, with 150 entering service. The design was followed by 30 improved PZL P.11a aircraft and a final design, the PZL P.11c, was delivered in 1935 and was a respectable fighter for its time; 175 entered service and it remained the only Polish fighter until 1939, by which time foreign aircraft design had overtaken it. Its final version, the PZL P.24, was built for export only and was bought by four countries. A new fighter prototype, the PZL.50 Jastrząb (Hawk), similar to the Seversky P-35 in layout, was curtailed by the Nazi invasion and the PZL.38 Wilk twin-engine heavy fighter remained a prototype.[8]
As far as bombers are concerned, the Potez 25 and
As an observation and close reconnaissance plane, Polish
1939
On 1 September 1939, at the beginning of the
Strength of Polish Air Force on 1 September 1939
Aircraft[12] | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Combat aircraft | ||||||
PZL P.11 | Poland | Fighter | 175 | Combat formations consisted of 140 | ||
PZL P.7 | Poland | Fighter | 105 | Combat formations consisted of 30 | ||
PZL.23A | Poland | Light bomber | 35 | |||
PZL.23B | Poland | Light bomber | 170 | Combat formations consisted of 120 | ||
PZL.43 | Poland | Light bomber | 6 | Combat formations consisted of 6 | ||
PZL.46 Sum | Poland | Light bomber | 2 | Combat formations consisted of 1 | ||
PZL.37 Łoś | Poland | Medium bomber | 86 | Combat formations consisted of 36 | ||
LWS-6 Żubr | Poland | Medium bomber | 15 | |||
Surveillance | ||||||
Lublin R XIII | Poland | Spotter | 150 | Combat formations consisted of 55 | ||
RWD-14 Czapla | Poland | Reconnaissance | 60 | Combat formations consisted of 40 | ||
RWD 8 | Poland | Reconnaissance | 550 | Combat formations consisted of 20 | ||
PWS-16 | Poland | Reconnaissance/trainer | 15 | Combat formations consisted of 15 |
1940 (France)
After the fall of Poland, the Polish Air Force started to regroup in France. The only complete unit created before the German attack on France was the
1940–1947 (United Kingdom)
Following the
- 300 Squadron and 301 Squadronflew bombers,
- 303 Squadron flew Hawker Hurricanefighters.
The two Polish fighter squadrons first saw action in the third phase of the Battle of Britain in August 1940, with much success; the pilots were battle-hardened and Polish flying skills had been well learned from the invasion of Poland. The pilots were regarded as fearless, sometimes bordering on reckless. Nevertheless, success rates were very high in comparison to UK and Empire pilots. 303 Squadron became the most efficient RAF fighter squadron at that time. Many Polish pilots also flew individually in other RAF squadrons.
As World War II progressed, a further twelve Polish squadrons were created in the United Kingdom:
- Coastal Command),
- No. 305 Polish Bomber Squadron (bomber),
- No. 306 Polish Fighter Squadron (fighter),
- No. 307 Polish Night Fighter Squadron (night fighter),
- No. 308 Polish Fighter Squadron (fighter),
- No. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron (reconnaissance, then fighter),
- No. 315 Polish Fighter Squadron (fighter),
- No. 316 Polish Fighter Squadron (fighter),
- No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron (fighter),
- No. 318 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron (fighter-reconnaissance),
- No. 663 Polish Air Observation Post Squadron(air observation/artillery spotting),
- and the Polish Fighting Team also known as "Skalski's Circus", attached to 145 Squadron RAF.
The fighter squadrons initially flew Hurricanes, then switched to
1943–1945 (Soviet Union)
Along with the Polish People's Army (Ludowe Wojsko Polskie) in the
- the 1st Fighter Regiment "Warszawa", (equipped with Yak-9aircraft),
- the 2nd Night Bomber Regiment "Kraków" (flying CSS-13from 1949 onwards),
- and the 3rd Assault Regiment (flying Ilyushin Il-2 aircraft) were formed.
During 1944–5, further regiments were created, coming together to form the 1st Mixed Air Corps, consisting of a bomber division, an assault division, a fighter division and a mixed division. After the war, these returned to Poland and gave birth to the air force of the
1949–1989
In 1949, the
As well as Soviet-produced aircraft, from 1952 onwards Soviet MiG-15 and later MiG-17 fighters were produced under licence in Poland as the Lim-1, Lim-2 and later the Lim-5. A domestic ground attack variant of the Lim-5M was developed as the Lim-6bis in 1964. The only jet bomber used by the Polish Air Force during this period was the
The main fighter-bomber and ground attack aircraft after 1949 was the
Propeller-driven training aircraft, the
Transport aircraft used by the Polish Air Force during this period included: the
In 1954, the Polish Air Force was merged with the Air Defence Force, creating the Air and Country Air Defence Forces (Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Przeciwlotniczej Obszaru Kraju – WLiOPL OK), a military organisation composed of both flying and anti-aircraft units. In 1962, the WLiOPL OK were separated back again into their two original component bodies: the Air Force (Wojska Lotnicze) and the Country Air Defence Force (Wojska Obrony Powietrznej Kraju).
Present-day operations
After political upheaval and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, and a consequent reduction in the state of military anxiety in the whole of Europe, the Polish Air Force saw reductions in size. On 1 July 1990 the Polish Air Force and the Air Defence Force were merged again (Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej – WLiOP or WLOP). The attack capability of this force consisted primarily of
In 2002, the
In the aftermath of the
On 27 February 2014 Poland signed a €280 million contract with
On 11 December 2014 Polish officials signed a contract with the United States for the purchase of 70
On 28 May 2019, the Polish Minister of Defence announced that Poland had sent a request for quotation for the acquisition of 32 F-35A aircraft.[24] On 11 September 2019, the Department of Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced that Poland had been cleared to purchase 32 F-35A fighters, along with associated equipment, for an estimated cost of $6.5 billion.[25] On 27 September 2019 the US Congress approved the sale.[26] On 31 January 2020, Poland signed a $4.6 billion deal for 32 F-35 fighters.[27]
On 8 March 2022, the Polish government offered to transfer its entire MiG-29 fleet to the US government via
Equipment
Aircraft
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Combat Aircraft | |||||
MiG-29
|
Soviet Union[29] | multirole | MiG-29A[30]
|
13[31] | |
MiG-29UB
|
6 | Used for conversion training | |||
Sukhoi Su-22 | Soviet Union | fighter-bomber | M4 | 12[32] | |
UM3K | 6[32] | ||||
F-35 Lightning II | United States | stealth multirole | F-35A | 32 on order[33] | |
F-16 Fighting Falcon | United States | multirole | F-16C | 36[33] | |
F-16D | 12[33] | Used for conversion training | |||
T-50 Golden Eagle
|
Republic of Korea
|
light multirole | FA-50GF | 12 | 36 PL variants on order[34] |
AEW&C | |||||
Saab 340 | Sweden | AEW&C | 1 | 1 on order[35] | |
Transport | |||||
Boeing 737 | United States | VIP transport | 800 | 1[36] | |
BBJ2 | 2[36] | ||||
CASA C-295 | Spain | transport | 16[33] | ||
PZL M28 Skytruck | Poland | transport | 23[33] | ||
C-130 Hercules | United States | tactical airlifter
|
C-130E | 5[37] | |
C-130H | 3[38] | 2 on order | |||
Gulfstream G550 | United States | VIP transport | 2[39] | ||
Helicopters
| |||||
Mil Mi-8 | Soviet Union | utility | Mi-8/17 | 11[33] | |
PZL Mi-2
|
Poland | liaison | 17[33] | ||
PZL W-3 Sokół | Poland | utility | 15[33] | ||
Trainer Aircraft
| |||||
PZL SW-4
|
Poland | rotorcraft trainer | 24[33] | ||
Alenia M-346 | Italy | advanced trainer | 16[33] | ||
Diamond DA42
|
Austria | multi engine trainer | 3[33] | ||
PZL-130 Orlik | Poland | trainer | 27[33] | ||
Robinson R44 | United States | rotorcraft trainer | 3[33] | ||
Guimbal Cabri G2 | France | rotorcraft trainer | 6[33] | ||
UAV | |||||
MQ-9 Reaper | United States | UCAV | MQ-9A | ? | leasing unspecified number[40] |
Bayraktar TB2 | Turkey | UCAV | 12[41] | 12 on order. |
Note: Three
Air Defence
Name | Origin | Type | In service | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
SPZR Poprad | Poland | SHORAD | 2 launchers[43][44][45][46] | |
Patriot PAC-3 | United States | IBCS | 2 batteries[47] | 4 on order |
PSR-A Pilica
|
Poland | SHORAD | 22 on order[48] | |
CAMM | United Kingdom | SHORAD | 44 on order[48] | |
PPZR Grom[49] | Poland | MANPADS | ||
PPZR Piorun[50] | Poland | MANPADS | ||
S-200 Vega
|
Soviet Union | 1 battery [49] | ||
S-125 Neva | Soviet Union | mobile SAM system | 51 units[49] |
Radars
The 3rd Wrocław Radio Engineering Brigade has several radar types under its command including the Italian made RAT-31DL a AESA system, and the Polish made NUR-15 radar which provides a 3D picture of the controlled airspace. The NUR-31 a mobile unit, employing a medium-range airspace control radar.[51]
Structure
Other unitsPolish Armed Forces |
---|
Branches |
Land Forces Air Force Navy Special Forces Territorial Defence Force |
History |
Timeline Wars |
Personnel |
Awards Oaths |
Equipment |
Land Forces Navy |
Armed Forces General Command
- Armed Forces General Command, in Warsaw[52]
- 1st Tactical Aviation Wing, in Świdwin
- 21st Tactical Air Base, in Świdwin
- 22nd Tactical Air Base, in Malbork
- 41st Aviation Squadron, with MiG-29
- 23rd Tactical Air Base, in Mińsk Mazowiecki
- 1st Aviation Squadron, with FA-50GF
- 2nd Tactical Aviation Wing, in Poznań
- 31st Tactical Air Base, in Poznań-Krzesiny
- 3rd Aviation Squadron, with F-16C/D 52+
- 6th Aviation Squadron, with F-16C/D 52+
- 32nd Tactical Air Base, in Łask
- 16th Airfield Maintenance Battalion, in Jarocin
- 31st Tactical Air Base, in Poznań-Krzesiny
- 3rd Transport Aviation Wing, in Powidz
- 1st Transport Aviation Base, at Warsaw-Okęcie Air Base
- Aviation Squadron, with Gulfstream G550, Boeing 737-800
- Helicopter Squadron, with W-3 Sokół
- 8th Transport Aviation Base, at Kraków-Balice Air Base
- 12th Aviation Squadron, with M28B Skytruck
- 13th Aviation Squadron, with CASA C-295M
- 33rd Transport Aviation Base, in Powidz
- 14th Aviation Squadron, with C-130E/H Hercules
- 7th Special Operations Squadron, with Mi-17 and S-70i
- 1st Search and Rescue Group, in Świdwin, with W-3 Sokół
- 2nd Search and Rescue Group, in Mińsk Mazowiecki, with W-3 Sokół
- 3rd Search and Rescue Group, in Kraków, with W-3 Sokół
- 1st Transport Aviation Base, at Warsaw-Okęcie Air Base
- 4th Training Aviation Wing, in Dęblin
- 41st Training Air Base, in Dęblin
- Aviation Squadron, with M-346A Master
- Helicopter Squadron, with SW-4 Puszczyk, Mi-2
- 42nd Training Air Base, in Radom
- Aviation Squadron, with PZL-130 Orlik
- Training and Endurance Centre, in Zakopane
- Rescue and Parachute Training Centre, in Poznań
- 41st Training Air Base, in Dęblin
- 3rd Radiotechnical (Radar) Brigade, in Wrocław
- 3rd Radiotechnical Battalion, in Sandomierz
- 8th Radiotechnical Battalion, in Lipowiec
- 184th Long Range Radiolocating Post, in Szypliszki, with RAT-31DL
- 211th Long Range Radiolocating Post, in Chruściel, with RAT-31DL
- 144th Long Range Radiolocating Post, in Roskosz, with NUR-12M
- 31st Lower Silesian Radiotechnical Battalion, in Wrocław
- 34th Radiotechnical Battalion, in Chojnice
- 3rd Air Defense Missile Brigade, in Sochaczew
- 32nd Air Defense Missile Squadron, in Olszewnica Stara
- 33rd Air Defense Missile Squadron, in Gdynia
- 34th Air Defense Missile Squadron, in Bytom
- 35th Air Defense Missile Squadron, in Skwierzyna
- 36th Air Defense Missile Squadron, in Mrzeżyno
- 37th Air Defense Missile Squadron, in Sochaczew-Bielice, with Patriot PAC-3[53]
- 38th Air Defense Security Squadron, in Sochaczew
- Centre for Radioelectronic Combat Reconnaissance and Support ″Lieutenant Colonel Jan Kowalewski″ (CRiWWRE)
- Air Force Training Center, in Koszalin
- Aviation Engineering Training Centre, in Dęblin
- Air Force Non Commissioned Officer School, in Dęblin
- Head of the Armed Forces Air Traffic Service, in Warsaw
- 1st Tactical Aviation Wing, in Świdwin
Armed Forces Operational Command
Armed Forces Operational Command, in Warsaw[54][55]
- Air Operations Centre – Air Component Command, in Warsaw-Pyry, reports to NATO's Integrated Air Defense SystemCAOC Uedem in Germany
Ranks and insignia
- Officers
NATO code | OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-1 | OF(D) | Student officer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Polish Air Force[56] |
Various | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Marszałek Polski | Generał | Generał broni | Generał dywizji | Generał brygady | Pułkownik | Podpułkownik
|
Major | Kapitan | Porucznik | Podporucznik | Podchorąży
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Abbreviation | marsz. | gen. | gen.broni | gen.dyw. | gen.bryg. | płk | ppłk | mjr | kpt. | por. | ppor. |
- Other ranks
NATO rank scale | OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-2 | OR-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Polish Air Force[56] |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Starszy chorąży sztabowy | Starszy chorąży | Chorąży | Młodszy chorąży | Starszy sierżant | Sierżant | Plutonowy | Starszy kapral | Kapral | Starszy szeregowy | Szeregowy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Abbreviation | st.chor.szt. | st.chor. | chor. | mł.chor. | st.sierż. | sierż. | plut. | st.kpr. | kpr. | st.szer. | szer. |
Qualification badges
The current aviator badge of the Polish Air Force has been in use since the 1920s. The badge is called gapa and represents silver eagle in flight with gold laurel wreath in the bill. Navigator/Observer badge (below) represents the same eagle, but in gold with added lightning bolts. The gapa is worn in the usual place on the upper left breast above the pocket, but unlike other air forces it is suspended on a chain. It adorned the uniform of Polish Air Force officers in the RAF during World War II along with their RAF wings. In the combat version (for at least 7 flights in combat conditions) the badge has a green laurel wreath.
Badge | Pilot | Observer | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Air Forces |
|||||||
Pilot
|
Observer | ||||||
Abbreviation | pil. | obs. | |||||
See also
- Stefan Stec, creator of the Szachownica Lotnicza Polish national military aircraft insignia
- Stanisław Targosz, former commander-in-chief of the Polish Air Force
- Team Iskry
- Orlik Team
- List of aircraft of Poland, World War II
- Polish Land Forces Aircraft
- Polish Naval Aviation
- Polish Special Forces Aircraft
References
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- ^ Morgała (1997), p. 97
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- ^ Boeing Business Jets, Government of Poland Sign Multi-Airplane Deal. Archived 2017-04-08 at the Wayback Machine boeing.com, March 31, 2017.
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- Archive-ItMay 15, 2014
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Bibliography
- Comas, Matthieu (September 2000). "Les bombardiers polonais de Lyon-Bron" [The Polish Bombers of Lyon-Bron]. Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (90): 30–32. ISSN 1243-8650.
- Morgała, Andrzej (1997). Samoloty wojskowe w Polsce 1918–1924 [Military aircraft in Poland 1918–1924] (in Polish). Warsaw: Lampart. ISBN 83-86776-34-X.
- Nelcarz, Bartolomiej & Peczkowski, Robert (2001). White Eagles: The Aircraft, Men and Operations of the Polish Air Force 1918–1939. Ottringham, UK: Hikoki Publications. ISBN 1-902109-73-2.
Further reading
- Air Forces Monthly, May 1999 (for details of reorganisation from regiments into squadrons)
External links
- Official website of Polish Air Force
- Polish Air Force history
- Polish Air Force unit insignias, gallery of badges with annotation