Page 9 - ADT NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2022 Online Magazine

UPWARD CLIMB
ARD CLIMB
UP W

MILITARY AIRCRAFT selected for its ‘KRUK’ Attack Helicopter pro-
gramme. Some of the helicopters when delivered
PROCUREMENT RECEIVED will operate the Polish Army’s 18th Mechanised
Division alongside U.S. supplied M1A1 Abrams
STRONG IMPETUS IN 2022 Main Battle Tanks (MBT). “Their joint firepower
is an enormous deterrence capability , and our
goal is to deter enemy. The goal is for the Polish
Armed Forces to have such strength as to make
 ATUL CHANDRA any enemy afraid to even consider an attack
on Poland. We have a wide variety of solutions
Rising global tensions and Russia’s unprovoked aggression in Ukraine when it comes to providing our Armed Forces
have reminded Governments all over the world of the importance of with new helicopters. Mainly, we order them from
a strong and robust military. As a result, many militaries are accel- Polish manufacturers such as PZL Świdnik and
erating their procurement programmes, to ensure readiness for any PZL Mielec, but since attack US-made Apache
eventuality. Air power remains a key aspect of military strength, and helicopters are globally recognized brand and
while the Russian employment of air power over Ukraine has been are considered to be the best we would love to
far from satisfactory; air forces world over are taking a close look see them in Polish Armed Forces. What had the
at gaps in their inventory. biggest impact that we based our choice on?
The fact that they are working best combined
There were several important military aviation contracts inked in with Abrams’. Combined, they are a dam that
2022 and Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) breakthrough USD 3 will prevent any flood,” Deputy Prime Minister,
billion sale in July of the FA-50 light fighter marked South Korea’s Minister of National Defence of Poland, Mariusz
first fighter sale to a European air force. Poland has placed orders Błaszczak said during a September visit to
for 48 FA-50s which will equip three fighter squadrons of the Polish Ramstein Air Base in Germany. The n Apache
Air Force. KAI is to start deliveries of the fighters next year and will selection will further strengthen U.S-Polish mil-
deliver 12 aircraft by mid-2023. itary ties and enhance interoperability and
cooperation between Poland, the U.S. Army and
Polish Air Force FA-50s will be configured in the Block 20 Standard NATO nations.
and also meet specific requirements of the Polish Air Force such as
integration of a NATO compatible identify friend or foe (IFF) system Poland has also acquired Turkish Bayraktar TB2
and increased operational capabilities. The Republic of Korea Air unmanned aerial systems (UAS) with the first
Force (ROKAF) Black Eagles aerobatic flight team had participated batch delivered in Octover at the 12th Unmanned
in an air show held at a Polish Air Base in July , showcasing the Aircraft Base. “There are no modern armed
superiority of the fighter aircraft. The Black Eagles demonstrated forces without drones. Bayraktars are UCAVs
supersonic high-level aerial acrobatics and showcased the excellent
manoeuvrability of the T-50 series aircraft, which had a positive
influence on the decision of the type of aircraft. A test flight was
provided to the Commander of the Polish Air Force Unit , which would
induct the FA-50 in the future.

Poland will also acquire 96 Apache attack helicopters for the Polish
Army to equip six helicopter squadrons. The Government of Poland
announced in September, that Boeing’s AH-64 Apache has been © Poland MOD
ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2022 | 9