Polish Air Force

Siły Powietrzne

The Polish Air Force was improvised from captured enemy aircraft in November 1918, fought the Second World War in exile under British operational control, spent forty years as a Soviet-model force, and in 2026 is spending a larger share of national income than any NATO ally to replace everything Soviet-built — with F-35s at Łask since May, the FA-50PL two years late and the last MiG-29s being retired at home rather than sent to Ukraine.

National markingThe checkerboard (szachownica): white in the upper left and lower right, red in the other two squares, with a counterchanged border. In use since 1 December 1918; the white-leading form since 1993

89Combat aircraft

11Active air bases

1918Founded

41Types retired

Photo: Alan Wilson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

CountryPolandFounded1918StatusActiveHeadquartersWarsawCommanderTomasz Jatczak

The story

The Polish Air Force story: born fighting, exiled, rebuilt twice

1918–1921: born fighting, over Lwów and the Vistula

The service dates its birth to 5 November 1918, six days before Poland regained its independence, when Lieutenant Stefan Bastyr and his observer Janusz de Beaurain took a Brandenburg C.I off the Lewandówka airfield at Lwów and bombed Ukrainian troops unloading at Persenkówka station with three 15-kilogram bombs dropped by hand. The air arm that grew from that sortie was assembled from whatever the collapsing empires had left behind — above all, in Greater Poland, the German airfield at Ławica, captured on 6 January 1919 with 26 serviceable aircraft and around 215 more in a nearby depot. By 1920 it was fighting the Red Army with 21 squadrons, among them the 7th, the Kościuszko Squadron, flown in part by American volunteers including Merian C. Cooper, who was shot down and captured on 13 July 1920 and escaped. It was a young service made of foreign machines and foreign pilots, and it mattered in a war Poland could have lost.

1939: the September campaign, and the legend that needs correcting

Between the wars Poland built one of Europe’s more original aircraft industries — the gull-winged PZL fighters were among the fastest in the world in the early 1930s — and then failed to replace them. On 1 September 1939 the fighter force still flew the PZL P.11c, good for about 390 km/h against Bf 109s and Bf 110s that were far faster. The most persistent legend is that the air force was wiped out on its airfields on the first morning. It was not: the combat units had dispersed to field airstrips before the war and the Luftwaffe bombed largely empty bases. What followed was a real fight — the Pursuit Brigade over Warsaw, the PZL.37 Łoś bombers thrown against German armour at the cost of most of the 36 committed — and a real defeat, sealed when the Soviet Union invaded on 17 September and the survivors flew to Romania. Polish fighter claims of about 126 to 134 aircraft have never been fully matched to German loss records, which is why the figure should be read as a claim.

1940–1947: the air force in exile, 303 Squadron and what came after

About 9,000 airmen reached France and about 6,200 of them reached Britain after France fell. Under agreements of 11 June and 5 August 1940 the Polish Air Force fought as a Polish service under the operational control of the Royal Air Force. Its 303 Squadron was the highest-scoring unit in Fighter Command in the Battle of Britain, claiming 126 aircraft in six weeks; post-war checking cut that to about 79, which still left it at the top. Poles flew in every command: the bomber squadrons 300, 301, 304 and 305, night fighters, Coastal Command, the special-duties crews who flew from Brindisi to the Warsaw Uprising in 1944, and Spitfires over Italy. By 1945 the force was around 17,000 strong and had lost about 1,900 airmen killed by one count and 2,408 by the count of the Northolt memorial. It was then written out of the victory: at Yalta Poland was left in the Soviet sphere, and the Polish Air Force was not invited to the 1946 Victory Parade as a force.

1943–1989: the Soviet model, the Lim fighters and the show trials

A second Polish air force had been growing in the east since July 1943, when the first fighter unit was formed near Moscow. It flew Yaks, Il-2s, Pe-2s and Po-2s, was commanded from September 1944 until 1947 by the Soviet general Fyodor Polynin, and was staffed heavily by Soviet officers, many of them of Polish descent. After 1945 it became the air arm of the Polish People’s Republic. Airmen who came home from Britain met suspicion or worse: Stanisław Skalski, Poland’s leading ace, was arrested in 1948 and sentenced to death in 1950, and six air force officers were shot in August 1952 after a fabricated conspiracy trial; all were cleared in 1956. The WSK factory at Mielec built well over a thousand Lim fighters under Soviet licence, the MiG-21 served from 1961 to 2003, and in December 1981 the commander of the air force sat on the military council that ran martial law. Poland’s aviators were competent and numerous; their country was not free to decide what they were for.

1999–2021: NATO, the F-16 and Smolensk

Poland joined NATO on 12 March 1999 with a handful of MiG-29s and Su-22s declared to the alliance, and on 18 April 2003 signed for 48 F-16C/D Block 52+ aircraft, beating the Gripen and the Mirage 2000-5 on the strength of a US loan and large offset promises that were argued over for years. The F-16s arrived from 2006, flew reconnaissance for the coalition against Islamic State from Kuwait in 2016–2018 and joined the Baltic air policing rotations that Poland had first flown in 2006. Two disasters shaped the service. A C-295M crashed at Mirosławiec on 23 January 2008 and killed 20, most of them senior air force officers. On 10 April 2010 the Tu-154M carrying President Lech Kaczyński, the Chief of the General Staff and the Air Force commander crashed at Smolensk, killing all 96 on board. The Polish commission blamed the descent below minimum altitude in poor visibility and the late start of the go-around, the 36th Special Aviation Regiment was disbanded, and a later subcommission’s claims of explosions became a political weapon for a decade before the ministry dissolved it in December 2023.

2022–2026: the great rearmament, and what has slipped

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 Poland has become the alliance’s biggest spender relative to its economy — about 4.5 per cent of GDP in 2025 by NATO’s estimate and a planned 4.8 per cent, some 200 billion złoty, in 2026 — and the air force is in the middle of replacing everything Soviet-built. The first three F-35A Husarz fighters landed at Łask on 22 May 2026 and five more on 28 August; twelve FA-50GF light fighters arrived in 2023; the 48 F-16s are to be upgraded to F-16V Block 72 standard from 2028. The Su-22 made its last flight on 10 September 2025. The MiG-29 story is less tidy: 14 went to Ukraine in 2023, and the last 14 were to follow until the minister halted the transfer in June 2026 and ordered them withdrawn. The FA-50PL, meant to arrive from 2025, now starts in mid-2027, and the FA-50GF spent three months grounded over missing paperwork. On the night of 9–10 September 2025 Polish and allied jets shot down Russian drones over Poland, in the Prime Minister’s words the first time Russian drones had been shot down over NATO territory. Buying fast has worked; building the infrastructure, weapons and industry to go with it is the harder part.

At a glance

The Polish Air Force in numbers

Service

Native name

Siły PowietrzneThe name since 1 July 2004, when the Air and Air Defence Forces (Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej) were renamed. Between 1947 and the 1990s the air arm was Wojska Lotnicze, with a separate national air defence force alongside it

Founded

5 November 1918The date of the first combat sortie by Polish airmen, a Brandenburg C.I flown by Stefan Bastyr and Janusz de Beaurain from Lewandówka airfield at Lwów, which the Air Force Museum at Dęblin calls the birth of Polish wings. It was kept as the aviation holiday until 1931. Today’s Polish Aviation Day, 28 August, dates from 1993 and marks the 1932 victory of Żwirko and Wigura in the Challenge contest

Part of

Polish Armed ForcesOne of the branches of the Siły Zbrojne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej. Army aviation (the AH-64E and AW149 helicopters) and naval aviation are separate and are not counted on this page

Headquarters

Inspectorate of the Air Force — General Command of the Armed Forces, Warsaw
Air Operations Centre – Air Component Command — Operational Command of the Armed Forces, Warsaw

Air Force Command was disbanded at the end of 2013. Since 1 January 2014 the Inspectorate trains and equips the force inside the General Command, while the Air Operations Centre – Air Component Command commands flying operations under the Operational Command

Inspector of the Air Force

Maj. Gen. Tomasz JatczakIn post since 20 October 2025, promoted major general in August 2026. An F-16 pilot with more than 1,330 hours on type, former commander of the 32nd Tactical Air Base and the 2nd Tactical Air Wing

Minister of National Defence

Władysław Kosiniak-KamyszAlso Deputy Prime Minister; in office since December 2023

Strength

Personnel

Not publishedThe ministry does not publish a separate Air Force headcount. The whole armed forces were planned at 216,271 for 2026, up from 205,387 in 2024

Combat aircraft

F-16C/D Block 52+ Jastrząb — 47
F-35A Husarz — 16 accepted, 8 of them in Poland
FA-50GF — 12
MiG-29A/UB — 14, being withdrawn

At September 2026. The Su-22 left service on 10 September 2025; the MiG-29s are to be withdrawn on a timetable the ministry keeps confidential

Trainers

M-346 Bielik — 15
PZL-130 Orlik TC-II — 28 (2022)
SW-4 Puszczyk helicopters — 22 (2021)

The TS-11 Iskra left the training role in December 2020

Transport and special mission

C-130H Hercules — 5, plus one C-130E
C-295M — 16
Gulfstream G550 — 2, Boeing 737 BBJ2 — 2, Boeing 737-800 — 1
Saab 340 AEW — 2
M28 Bryza — number not published

The C-295M fleet is being upgraded by Airbus from 2025 to 2033

Unmanned aircraft

Bayraktar TB2 — 24
MQ-9A Reaper — leased since February 2023, number undisclosed
MQ-9B SkyGuardian — 3 on order, due by early 2027

All at the 12th Unmanned Aircraft Base, Mirosławiec. A US Air Force MQ-9 detachment has also flown from Mirosławiec since 2018

Ground-based air defence

Wisła (Patriot) and Narew programmesNot aircraft, but part of the service. The 37th Air Defence Missile Squadron of the 3rd Warsaw Air Defence Missile Brigade at Sochaczew reached full operational capability with Patriot on 18 December 2025

Defence budget

About 200 billion złoty in 2026About 4.8 per cent of GDP, the highest share in NATO. NATO estimated 2025 at about 4.5 per cent (some reports give 4.3) and 2024 at 3.8 per cent. The ministry’s own budget carries 124.8 billion złoty; much of the equipment money comes through the Armed Forces Support Fund. The Air Force’s own budget line for 2026 is 4.137 billion złoty

Infrastructure

Flying wings

1st Tactical Air Wing — Świdwin
2nd Tactical Air Wing — Poznań
3rd Transport Air Wing — Powidz
4th Training Air Wing — Dęblin

Tactical, transport and training wings command the bases; the bases hold the squadrons

Tactical air bases

31st — Poznań-Krzesiny, F-16
32nd — Łask, F-16 and F-35
23rd — Mińsk Mazowiecki, FA-50GF
22nd — Malbork, MiG-29
21st — Świdwin, Su-22 until 2025

The first F-35 squadron stands up at Łask; the fleet is to be split between Łask and Świdwin

Transport, training and unmanned bases

1st Air Transport Base — Warsaw, VIP fleet
8th Air Transport Base — Kraków-Balice, C-295M
33rd Air Transport Base — Powidz, C-130
41st Training Air Base — Dęblin, M-346 and helicopters
42nd Training Air Base — Radom, Orlik
12th Unmanned Aircraft Base — Mirosławiec

Air policing

National QRA and NATO rotationsF-16s have held Quick Reaction Alert since 2010. Poland has flown Baltic Air Policing rotations since 2006 from Šiauliai and Ämari, most recently with four F-16s from April 2025. NATO launched Eastern Sentry on 12 September 2025 after the drone incursion

Display teams

Team Orlik — PZL-130 Orlik
F-16 Tiger Demo Team — solo F-16

The Biało-Czerwone Iskry flew their last display on TS-11s on 22 August 2021. The Tiger Demo Team’s leader, Maj. Maciej Krakowian, was killed rehearsing at Radom on 28 August 2025

Search and rescue

Three groupsŚwidwin, Mińsk Mazowiecki and Kraków, flying Mi-2, W-3 and Mi-8; twelve W-3WA SAR Sokół were delivered to replace the older helicopters

Structure

How the Polish Air Force is organised

Two chains of command since the 2014 reform. The Inspectorate inside the General Command trains and equips the force through four wings; the Air Operations Centre under the Operational Command fights it. Army and naval aviation are separate services and are not counted here.

Major General (generał dywizji pilot)Tomasz JatczakInspector of the Air Force · in office since 2025

Inspectorate of the Air ForceInspektorat Sił Powietrznych

Training and equipping

Inspectorate of the Air Force

Warsaw

Part of the General Command of the Armed Forces since 1 January 2014: it trains the force, equips it and commands the wings and bases in peacetime. Headed by the Inspector of the Air Force.

Operations

Air Operations Centre – Air Component Command

Warsaw

Under the Operational Command of the Armed Forces: commands flying operations, air policing and the air defence of Polish airspace, and is the air component for national and NATO operations.

Front line

1st Tactical Air Wing

Świdwin

The fighter and ground-attack bases of the north and centre: Świdwin, Malbork and Mińsk Mazowiecki, and the unmanned-aircraft base at Mirosławiec.

Front line

2nd Tactical Air Wing

Poznań

The F-16 and F-35 wing: Poznań-Krzesiny and Łask.

Transport

3rd Air Transport Wing

Powidz

Tactical airlift, government transport and special operations aviation: Powidz, Kraków-Balice and Warsaw.

Training

4th Air Training Wing

Dęblin

Pilot training from first flight to the jet trainer: Dęblin and Radom, alongside the Polish Air Force University at Dęblin.

In service

What the Polish Air Force flies today

Every type on charge, linked to its Book of Beasts page where one exists. Counts are aircraft on the books, not aircraft available on a given day.

Type	Role	In service	Since	Units	Notes
Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 52+ JastrząbIn service	Multirole fighter	47	2006	—	48 delivered (36 F-16C and 12 F-16D) between 2006 and 2009; one lost when Maj. Maciej Krakowian of the Tiger Demo Team was killed rehearsing at Radom on 28 August 2025.
Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II HusarzIn service	Stealth multirole fighter	16	2024	—	16 accepted at September 2026 (serials 3501–3516): eight at Łask — three since 22 May and five since 28 August 2026 — and eight at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Arkansas, for pilot training. More 32 ordered; 16 still to come (see on order).
KAI FA-50GF Fighting EagleIn service	Light combat fighter	12	2023	—	All 12 delivered between 9 July and 29 November 2023 to the 23rd Tactical Air Base, Mińsk Mazowiecki.
Mikoyan MiG-29A/UB (9.12A/9.51)In service	Fighter	~14	1989	—	About 14 left (reported as 11 single-seaters and 3 two-seaters); the ministry has not published a figure, so this is derived from press reports. More Poland received 44: 12 from the USSR in 1989–1990, 10 ex-Czech in 1996 and 22 ex-German in 2003–2004. 28 remained at the start of 2022; 14 were given to Ukraine in 2023 by most reports, a figure Warsaw never itemised.
Leonardo M-346 Master BielikIn service	Advanced jet trainer	15	2016	—	16 delivered in three batches of 8, 4 and 4 between November 2016 and December 2022; one lost on 12 July 2024.
PZL-130 Orlik TC-IIIn service	Basic trainer	28	1994	—	28 in service in October 2022, after 12 were rebuilt to TC-II Advanced standard under a contract of 19 December 2017 worth 186 million złoty.
Lockheed C-130H HerculesIn service	Tactical transport	5	2022	—	Five ex-USAF aircraft, the first (1510) arriving in October 2022 and all five in service by May 2026.
Lockheed C-130E HerculesIn service	Tactical transport	1		—	One aircraft (1501) still on the fleet in May 2026; the rest of the ex-US C-130E fleet has been withdrawn.
Airbus (CASA) C-295MIn service	Medium transport	16	2003	—	16 in service; 17 were delivered under contracts from 2001 to 2012, and one was lost at Mirosławiec in 2008.
PZL M28B/PT BryzaIn service	Light transport	—		—	Current number not published. The Air Force had 17 M28s when 12 more were ordered in December 2008.
Gulfstream G550In service	VIP transport	2	2017	—	0001 delivered 21 June 2017 and 0002 on 26 July 2017; 538 million złoty gross.
Boeing 737 BBJ2In service	VIP transport	2	2021	—	0111 delivered 7 October 2021 and 0112 on 29 October 2021.
Boeing 737-800In service	Government and troop transport	1	2017	—	0110 delivered 15 November 2017.
Saab 340 AEW (Erieye)In service	Airborne early warning	2	2024	—	Two bought on 25 July 2023 for about 600 million kronor; arrived 6 March and 11 June 2024.
Mil Mi-8 and Mi-17In service	Transport, special operations and search and rescue helicopter	—		—	Number not published by the ministry.
PZL W-3 Sokół and W-3WA SARIn service	Utility, VIP and search and rescue helicopter	—		—	Number not published; twelve W-3WA SAR were delivered to replace Mi-2 and Mi-8 in the search-and-rescue groups.
PZL Mi-2In service	Training and utility helicopter	—		—	Number not published.
PZL SW-4 PuszczykIn service	Training helicopter	22	2006	—	22 in service in April 2021.
Baykar Bayraktar TB2In service	Armed reconnaissance drone	24	2022	—	24 in four sets, ordered 24 May 2021 for about 270 million dollars; the last set arrived 16 May 2024.
General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper (leased)In service	Reconnaissance drone	—	2023	—	Number undisclosed; leased from General Atomics, delivered February 2023.

F-16C/D47

PZL-130 Orlik28

Bayraktar TB224

SW-422

F-35A16

C-295M16

M-346 Bielik15

FA-50GF12

On order

Type	Ordered	First delivery	Notes
Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II HusarzOn order	16	2024	The second half of the 32 ordered on 31 January 2020; 16 had been accepted by September 2026. Fourteen are planned to be in Poland by the end of 2026, and the contract runs to 2029–2030. More Plans for two further squadrons have been reported in the press but there is no contract.
KAI FA-50PL Fighting EagleOn order	36	2027	Ordered with the 12 FA-50GF on 16 September 2022 and originally due from 2025 to 2028. More An annex of 9 January 2026 moved the first delivery to mid-2027 and the last to early 2029, and a separate agreement of 13 January 2026 with the US government covers AIM-9X integration. The Polish version adds air refuelling, the PhantomStrike AESA radar and AIM-120 missiles; the type had not flown by January 2026. KAI blames the development and flight testing of those systems; Korean reporting has pointed to US export approvals.
General Atomics MQ-9B SkyGuardianOn order	3	2027	Three aircraft and two ground control stations, signed in December 2024 for delivery by the first quarter of 2027, to replace the leased MQ-9As. More Not the MQ-9A that the US Air Force flies from Mirosławiec.

Formerly operated

Every type the Polish Air Force has retired

41 types, from the Bristol F.2B Fighter to the Sukhoi Su-22M4 and Su-22UM3K. Peak figures are airframes taken on charge over the whole service life, not fleet strength on any one date.

Type	Role	Peak	Served	Replaced by	Notes
Sukhoi Su-22M4 and Su-22UM3K	Fighter-bomber	18	1984–2025	FA-50 and F-35	18 airworthy at the end (12 Su-22M4 and 6 Su-22UM3K), with 14 more M4s kept as spares donors. 90 Su-22M4 and 20 Su-22UM3K were received from 1984.
PZL-Mielec TS-11 Iskra	Jet trainer	—	1964–2021	M-346 Bielik	424 built; around 110 were still flying in 2002.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21	Fighter and reconnaissance	—	1961–2003	F-16	Deliveries included 24 F-13, 84 PF, 132 PFM, 36 R, 36 M, 120 MF and 72 bis, plus two-seat trainers; the total is not given as one figure in the sources checked.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23	Fighter	—	1979–1999	MiG-29	Number not verified.
PZL-Mielec Lim-5, Lim-5P, Lim-5M and Lim-6 (MiG-17)	Fighter and attack aircraft	—	1956–1992	Su-7, Su-20 and Su-22	Built at WSK Mielec: 477 Lim-5, 129 Lim-5P, 60 Lim-5M and 70 Lim-6bis, plus 40 Lim-6 not delivered in that form. Imported MiG-17s are not counted here.
Sukhoi Su-7BM, Su-7BKL and Su-7U	Fighter-bomber	47	1964–1990	Su-20 and Su-22	6 Su-7BM, 33 Su-7BKL and 8 Su-7U.
Ilyushin Il-28, Il-28R and Il-28U	Bomber and reconnaissance	103	1952–1977	Su-20	72 Il-28, 15 Il-28R and 16 Il-28U in the air force; naval aviation had its own Il-28s until 2001.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19P and MiG-19PM	Interceptor	36	1957–1974	MiG-21	24 MiG-19P and 12 MiG-19PM.
Ilyushin Il-10 and Avia B-33	Ground-attack aircraft	401	1949–1961	Lim-5 and Lim-6	120 Il-10 (24 of them UIl-10 trainers) and 281 Czechoslovak-built B-33s.
Yakovlev Yak-23	Fighter	—	1950–1956	Lim-1 and Lim-2	About 100.
de Havilland Mosquito	Night fighter and fighter-bomber	—	1942–1947	—	Squadron strengths only.
North American Mustang III	Fighter	—	1944–1946	—	Squadron strengths only; no total verified.
Supermarine Spitfire	Fighter	—	1941–1946	—	Squadron strengths only; no total verified.
Handley Page Halifax	Special duties and transport	—	1943–1946	—	Flight and squadron strengths only.
Vickers Wellington	Medium bomber and maritime patrol	—	1940–1945	Lancaster, Halifax and Mosquito	Squadron strengths only.
Avro Lancaster	Heavy bomber	—	1944–1945	—	Squadron strength only.
Consolidated Liberator	Special duties	—	1943–1945	—	Flight and squadron strengths only.
Hawker Hurricane	Fighter	—	1940–1944	Spitfire	Squadron strengths only; no total verified.
Boulton Paul Defiant and Bristol Beaufighter	Night fighter	—	1940–1943	Mosquito	Squadron strength only.
North American Mitchell	Medium bomber	—	1943–1943	Mosquito	Squadron strength only.
Fairey Battle	Light bomber	—	1940–1940	Wellington	301 Squadron alone started with 16.
PZL.37 Łoś	Medium bomber	86	1938–1939	—	About 86 on hand in September 1939, of which 36 PZL.37Bs were combat-ready in the Bomber Brigade; more than 120 built.
PZL.23 Karaś	Light bomber and reconnaissance	224	1936–1939	—	About 224 in September 1939, 114 of them in combat units; 250 built.
PZL P.11	Fighter	—	1935–1939	—	On 1 September 1939: 109 P.11c and 20 P.11a in combat units, 43 more P.11c in reserve or under repair.
PZL P.7a	Fighter	106	1933–1939	PZL P.11	106 on 1 September 1939: 30 in combat units, 40 with schools and 35 in reserve or repair; 149 production aircraft built.
Breguet 19	Reconnaissance and bomber	250	1926–1939	Potez 25 and PZL.23	250 Breguet 19 A2 and B2 bought 1925–1930.
Bristol F.2B Fighter	Fighter and reconnaissance	106	1920–1932	—	106 bought in 1920 (some sources say 107), making Poland the second-largest user.
Sukhoi Su-20	Fighter-bomber	27	1974–	Su-22	27 received from 1974.
PZL-Mielec Lim-1 and Lim-2 (MiG-15 and MiG-15bis)	Fighter	—	1952–	Lim-5 and MiG-21	233 Lim-1 and 500 Lim-2 built at WSK Mielec, plus imported Soviet MiG-15s.
Tupolev Tu-154M	VIP transport	—	—	Boeing 737 BBJ2	Number not verified here.
Tupolev Tu-2	Bomber	8	1949–	Il-28	Eight aircraft.
Yakovlev Yak-9	Fighter	130	1944–	Yak-23	130 on strength in May 1945; ZBiAM counts about 350 Yak-7 and Yak-9 of all versions in Polish service.
Yakovlev Yak-1b	Fighter	29	1943–	Yak-9	29 on strength in May 1945; about 100 served in all.
Yakovlev Yak-3	Fighter	14	—	—	14 on strength in May 1945; about 20 served in all.
Ilyushin Il-2	Ground-attack aircraft	158	1944–	Il-10	158 on strength in May 1945.
Petlyakov Pe-2	Dive bomber	107	1944–	Tu-2 and Il-28	107 on strength in May 1945.
Polikarpov Po-2	Night bomber and liaison	215	1944–	—	215 on strength in May 1945, the most numerous type.
Potez 25	Reconnaissance and light bomber	316	—	PZL.23 Karaś	16 bought from France and 300 licence-built in Poland, 150 by PWS and 150 by Plage i Laśkiewicz.
Fokker D.VII	Fighter	—	—	—	About 50 used in the Polish-Soviet War.
Oeffag Albatros D.III	Fighter	—	—	—	Number not verified.
SPAD XIII	Fighter	—	—	—	Number not verified.

Air bases

Where the Polish Air Force flies from

Black pins are active bases, hollow pins the ones that have closed. Allied detachments — American, Norwegian and British among them — are listed with the base that hosts them and marked as allied. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.

Active air base Closed or reserveClick a pin to open the base page

Base	ICAO	Status	Runway	Units and aircraft
12th Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Base MirosławiecZachodniopomorskie (West Pomerania)	EPMI	Active	12/302,500 mconcrete and asphalt	Bayraktar TB2 unit, 12th UAV Base: Baykar Bayraktar TB2 MQ-9A Reaper unit, 12th UAV Base: General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper (leased) Orbiter mini-UAV unit, 12th UAV Base: Aeronautics Orbiter Detachment 2, 52nd Expeditionary Operations Group: MQ-9A Reaper (USAF)
1st Air Transport Base WarsawMazowieckie (Masovia)	EPWA	Active	11/292,800 mconcrete and asphalt15/333,690 m	VIP transport squadron, 1st Air Transport Base: Boeing 737-800 and 737-800 BBJ2, Gulfstream G550 36th Special Air Transport Regiment (36. Specjalny Pułk Lotnictwa Transportowego): Tupolev Tu-154M
21st Tactical ŚwidwinZachodniopomorskie (West Pomerania)	EPSN	Active	11/292,500 mconcrete	Su-22 squadron, 21st Tactical Air Base: Su-22M4 and Su-22UM3K FA-50PL squadron, 21st Tactical Air Base: KAI FA-50PL F-35A squadron, 21st Tactical Air Base: F-35A Lightning II Husarz
22nd Tactical MalborkPomorskie (Pomerania)	EPMB	Active	07/252,500 mconcrete	MiG-29 squadron, 22nd Tactical Air Base: MiG-29A/UB No. II (Army Cooperation) Squadron, Royal Air Force: Typhoon FGR4
23rd Tactical Mińsk MazowieckiMazowieckie (Masovia)	EPMM	Active	08/262,500 mconcrete	FA-50GF squadron, 23rd Tactical Air Base: KAI FA-50GF FA-50PL squadrons, 23rd Tactical Air Base: KAI FA-50PL MiG-29 squadron, 23rd Tactical Air Base: MiG-29A/UB
31st Tactical Poznań-KrzesinyWielkopolskie (Greater Poland)	EPKS	Active	11/292,500 mconcrete	3rd Air Squadron (3. Eskadra Lotnicza): F-16C/D Block 52+ Jastrząb 6th Air Squadron (6. Eskadra Lotnicza): F-16C/D Block 52+ Jastrząb Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35A detachment: F-35A Lightning II
32nd Tactical ŁaskŁódzkie (Łódź)	EPLK	Active	10/283,000 mconcrete	F-16 squadron, 32nd Tactical Air Base: F-16C/D Block 52+ Jastrząb F-35A Husarz squadron, 32nd Tactical Air Base: F-35A Lightning II Husarz Detachment 1, 52nd Operations Group (US Aviation Detachment): Rotational US F-16 and C-130 deployments 10th Tactical Air Squadron (10. Eskadra Lotnictwa Taktycznego): F-16C/D Block 52+ Jastrząb
33rd Air Transport Base PowidzWielkopolskie (Greater Poland)	EPPW	Active	10R/28L3,514 mconcrete10L/28R2,727 mconcrete	C-130 transport squadron, 33rd Air Transport Base: C-130H Hercules Special Operations Air Unit (Powietrzna Jednostka Operacji Specjalnych): Mi-17 Army Field Support Battalion-Poland (APS-2 Powidz), US Army: No assigned aircraft 7th Special Operations Squadron (7. Eskadra Działań Specjalnych): Mi-17
41st Air Training Base DęblinLubelskie (Lublin)	EPDE	Active	12/302,500 mconcrete and asphalt	M-346 Bielik training squadron, 41st Air Training Base: Leonardo M-346 Bielik Polish Air Force University (Lotnicza Akademia Wojskowa): Trains on the base’s aircraft Aviation Training Centre No. 1 (Centrum Wyszkolenia Lotnictwa Nr 1): Pre-war training aircraft
42nd Air Training Base RadomMazowieckie (Masovia)	EPRA	Active	07/252,500 mconcrete	Basic training squadron, 42nd Air Training Base: PZL-130 Orlik TC-II Orlik aerobatic team (Zespół Akrobacyjny "Orlik"): PZL-130 Orlik
8th Air Transport Base Kraków-BaliceMałopolskie (Lesser Poland)	EPKK	Active	07/252,550 mconcrete	C-295M transport squadron, 8th Air Transport Base: Airbus (CASA) C-295M 55th Transport Aviation Regiment (55. Pułk Lotnictwa Transportowego): Transport aircraft (types not stated in source) 13th Transport Aviation Regiment (13. Pułk Lotnictwa Transportowego): Transport aircraft (types not stated in source)
Słupsk-RedzikowoPomorskie (Pomerania)		Closed 2000	—	Naval Support Facility Redzikowo, US Navy: No assigned aircraft 28th Fighter Aviation Regiment (28. Pułk Lotnictwa Myśliwskiego): MiG-15 and MiG-15UTI, MiG-17, MiG-19, MiG-21, MiG-23
PiłaWielkopolskie (Greater Poland)	EPPI	Closed 1998	—	6th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment (6. Pułk Lotnictwa Myśliwsko-Bombowego): Su-22
Kraków-Rakowice-CzyżynyMałopolskie (Lesser Poland)		Closed 1963	—	2nd Air Regiment (2. Pułk Lotniczy): PZL P.11c, Potez XXV, PZL.23 Karaś

No air base matches that search.

Order of battle

Who is stationed where in the Polish Air Force

Flying units by base, current units first. Where the squadron number has not been confirmed from an official source, the unit is listed by its role instead. Allied units say so.

31st Tactical Air Base Poznań-Krzesiny · EPKS2nd Tactical Air Wing

3rd Air Squadron (3. Eskadra Lotnicza)Tactical fighter squadron · active: F-16C/D Block 52+ Jastrząb
6th Air Squadron (6. Eskadra Lotnicza)Tigers · Tactical fighter squadron · active: F-16C/D Block 52+ Jastrząb
Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35A detachment2025–: F-35A Lightning II

32nd Tactical Air Base Łask · EPLK2nd Tactical Air Wing

F-16 squadron, 32nd Tactical Air BaseTactical fighter squadron · active: F-16C/D Block 52+ Jastrząb
F-35A Husarz squadron, 32nd Tactical Air BaseFifth-generation fighter squadron · active: F-35A Lightning II Husarz
Detachment 1, 52nd Operations Group (US Aviation Detachment)United States Air Force aviation detachment · allied: Rotational US F-16 and C-130 deployments
10th Tactical Air Squadron (10. Eskadra Lotnictwa Taktycznego)—: F-16C/D Block 52+ Jastrząb

22nd Tactical Air Base Malbork · EPMB1st Tactical Air Wing

MiG-29 squadron, 22nd Tactical Air BaseTactical fighter squadron · active: MiG-29A/UB
No. II (Army Cooperation) Squadron, Royal Air Force2025–2025: Typhoon FGR4

23rd Tactical Mińsk Mazowiecki · EPMM1st Tactical Air Wing

FA-50GF squadron, 23rd Tactical Air BaseLight combat and lead-in fighter squadron · active: KAI FA-50GF
FA-50PL squadrons, 23rd Tactical Air Base—: KAI FA-50PL
MiG-29 squadron, 23rd Tactical Air Base—: MiG-29A/UB

21st Tactical Świdwin · EPSN1st Tactical Air Wing

Su-22 squadron, 21st Tactical Air Base—: Su-22M4 and Su-22UM3K
FA-50PL squadron, 21st Tactical Air Base—: KAI FA-50PL
F-35A squadron, 21st Tactical Air Base—: F-35A Lightning II Husarz

33rd Air Transport Base Powidz · EPPW3rd Air Transport Wing

C-130 transport squadron, 33rd Air Transport BaseTactical airlift squadron · active: C-130H Hercules
Special Operations Air Unit (Powietrzna Jednostka Operacji Specjalnych)Special operations aviation unit · active: Mi-17
Army Field Support Battalion-Poland (APS-2 Powidz), US ArmyUS Army prepositioned stock site · allied: No assigned aircraft
7th Special Operations Squadron (7. Eskadra Działań Specjalnych)2011–2023: Mi-17

8th Air Transport Base Kraków-Balice · EPKK3rd Air Transport Wing

C-295M transport squadron, 8th Air Transport BaseMedium airlift squadron · active: Airbus (CASA) C-295M
55th Transport Aviation Regiment (55. Pułk Lotnictwa Transportowego)1963–1968: Transport aircraft (types not stated in source)
13th Transport Aviation Regiment (13. Pułk Lotnictwa Transportowego)1968–: Transport aircraft (types not stated in source)

1st Air Transport Base Warsaw · EPWA3rd Air Transport Wing

VIP transport squadron, 1st Air Transport BaseGovernment and VIP transport · active: Boeing 737-800 and 737-800 BBJ2, Gulfstream G550
36th Special Air Transport Regiment (36. Specjalny Pułk Lotnictwa Transportowego)—: Tupolev Tu-154M

41st Air Training Base Dęblin · EPDE4th Air Training Wing

M-346 Bielik training squadron, 41st Air Training BaseAdvanced jet training squadron · active: Leonardo M-346 Bielik
Polish Air Force University (Lotnicza Akademia Wojskowa)Air force academy · active: Trains on the base’s aircraft
Aviation Training Centre No. 1 (Centrum Wyszkolenia Lotnictwa Nr 1)1937–1939: Pre-war training aircraft

42nd Air Training Base Radom · EPRA4th Air Training Wing

Basic training squadron, 42nd Air Training BaseBasic flying training · active: PZL-130 Orlik TC-II
Orlik aerobatic team (Zespół Akrobacyjny "Orlik")Orlik · Display team · active: PZL-130 Orlik

12th Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Base Mirosławiec · EPMI1st Tactical Air Wing

Bayraktar TB2 unit, 12th UAV BaseArmed unmanned aircraft · active: Baykar Bayraktar TB2
MQ-9A Reaper unit, 12th UAV BaseUnmanned reconnaissance-strike aircraft (leased) · active: General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper (leased)
Orbiter mini-UAV unit, 12th UAV BaseTactical mini unmanned aircraft · active: Aeronautics Orbiter
Detachment 2, 52nd Expeditionary Operations GroupUnited States Air Force MQ-9 detachment · allied: MQ-9A Reaper (USAF)

No unit matches that search.

Timeline

Polish Air Force milestones, 1914 to today

1918

5 November: Stefan Bastyr and Janusz de Beaurain fly the first Polish combat sortie, bombing Ukrainian troops at Persenkówka station outside Lwów — the date the service treats as its birth.

1919

6 January: Greater Poland insurgents capture the German airfield at Ławica, Poznań, with 26 serviceable aircraft and some 215 more in store. In December the 7th Squadron becomes the Kościuszko Squadron, with American volunteer pilots.

1920

The air arm fights the Red Army with 21 squadrons. Merian C. Cooper of the Kościuszko Squadron is shot down and captured on 13 July and later escapes; newly bought Bristol Fighters fly in the Battle of Warsaw.

1925

5 November: the officer aviation school is ordered into being at Grudziądz. It moves to Dęblin in 1927 and becomes the School of Eaglets, still the Air Force’s academy.

1932

28 August: the Polish crew of Żwirko and Wigura win the international Challenge contest. Since 1993 the date has been Polish Aviation Day, the Air Force’s holiday.

1939

1 September: Germany invades. The air force has dispersed to field airstrips and fights for two and a half weeks; after the Soviet invasion of 17 September the survivors fly to Romania.

1940

Anglo-Polish agreements of 11 June and 5 August create a Polish Air Force under RAF operational control. No. 303 Squadron becomes operational on 31 August and ends the Battle of Britain as Fighter Command’s top-scoring squadron.

1943

7 July: the first Polish fighter unit formed in the USSR begins at Grigoryevskoye; it becomes the 1st Fighter Regiment Warszawa in October.

1944

4 August–22 September: Polish, British, South African and American crews fly supplies from Brindisi to the Warsaw Uprising; 257 airmen are killed, 112 of them Polish.

1947

The Polish squadrons in Britain are disbanded between December 1946 and January 1947. In Poland the eastern air arm is renamed Wojska Lotnicze on 13 March 1947.

1952

7 August: six air force officers, most of them veterans of the RAF bomber squadrons, are executed after a fabricated conspiracy trial. All are cleared in 1956, when the ace Stanisław Skalski is also released.

1953

Licence production of the MiG-15 as the Lim-1 begins at WSK Mielec; more than 1,300 Lim fighters are built by 1960.

1961

The first MiG-21s arrive in June; the type serves for 42 years, to the last day of 2003.

1981

13 December: martial law. The commander of the air force, Gen. Tadeusz Krepski, is a member of the Military Council of National Salvation that rules the country.

1999

12 March: Poland joins NATO, declaring eight MiG-29s and twelve Su-22s to the alliance.

2003

18 April: contract for 48 F-16C/D Block 52+ signed. On 31 December the last MiG-21s are retired.

2004

1 July: the Air and Air Defence Forces are renamed Siły Powietrzne, the Air Force.

2008

23 January: a C-295M crashes at Mirosławiec, killing 20, most of them senior air force officers.

2010

10 April: the Tu-154M carrying President Lech Kaczyński crashes at Smolensk; all 96 on board die, including the Air Force commander. The 36th Special Aviation Regiment is disbanded the following year.

2020

31 January: Poland signs for 32 F-35As. On 9 December the TS-11 Iskra leaves the training role after 56 years.

2022

16 September: contract for 48 KAI FA-50s. 15 November: a missile, most likely from Ukrainian air defences, kills two men at Przewodów.

2023

Poland becomes the first country to give Ukraine combat jets, sending MiG-29s from the spring. The twelve FA-50GF arrive between July and November.

2025

10 September: Polish F-16s and Dutch F-35s shoot down Russian drones over Poland, and the Su-22 flies for the last time. On 28 August the F-16 Tiger Demo Team leader is killed rehearsing at Radom.

2026

22 May: the first three F-35A Husarz land at Łask; five more follow on 28 August. On 29 June the minister halts the transfer of the last 14 MiG-29s to Ukraine; they are to be withdrawn.

Combat record

Every war the Polish Air Force has fought

Sorties and losses where the record gives them, and an honest blank where it does not.

13conflicts

1918First

36Aircraft lost

311Killed

The Polish-Ukrainian War 1918–1919 Flew the first Polish combat sortie on 5 November 1918 and supported the defence of Lwów and the campaign in Eastern Galicia with captured Austrian and German aircraft
The Polish-Soviet War 1919–1921 Flew reconnaissance and ground attack against the Red Army, including Budyonny’s cavalry, from the Kiev offensive of April 1920 through the Battle of Warsaw in August
The September Campaign 1939 Defended Warsaw and the field armies with obsolescent PZL fighters and attacked German armour with the Bomber Brigade until the Soviet invasion of 17 September forced the survivors to Romania
The Battle of France 1940 Polish pilots re-formed in France flew in French fighter units during the German offensive of May and June 1940
The Battle of Britain 1940 Two Polish squadrons and 79 Poles in RAF squadrons fought in Fighter Command; 303 Squadron finished as its top-scoring unit

Open the full combat record

From the magazine

Polish Air Force news from Afterburner

Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Polish Air Force and the aircraft it flies. This list refreshes itself — new Afterburner stories appear here automatically.

24 September 2026Mi-8 Over Braniewo: 42 Seconds Inside Polish AirspaceA Russian Mi-8 out of Kaliningrad crossed 300 metres into Poland and stayed 42 seconds. Warsaw scrambled fighters and published the timings to the second.Read the story 11 September 2026Poland’s $4 Billion US Loan: More F-35s, MaybeThe US signed a $4 billion Foreign Military Financing loan guarantee with Poland on 9 September 2026. Warsaw says Apaches. Reporters say 32 more F-35s. Here is what is decided and what is not.Read the story 7 September 2026Poland Scrambled an Mi-24 Over Belarus. It Was Birds.At 12:45 on Sunday afternoon, Polish controllers pulled a slice of airspace east of Lublin out of civil use. At 13:15, Poland’s Operational Command announced that an unidentified object had…Read the story 3 September 2026Poland Intercepts Russian Il-20 Again: Transponder Off Near UstkaPolish fighters intercepted a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft 40 km north of Ustka on 3 September 2026, the second Baltic scramble in four days. The aircraft flew with its transponder off; no…Read the story 31 August 2026Polish Fighters Intercept Russian Il-20 Over the BalticBefore noon on 31 August 2026, about 30 kilometres north of the little Polish seaside town of Łeba, Polish fighters slid into position alongside a four-engined Russian turboprop…Read the story 30 August 2026Poland F-35 Fleet Doubles as Five More Husarz Reach ŁaskOn the afternoon of August 28, five grey shapes dropped out of the Atlantic murk and settled onto the runway at Łask, in central Poland. Tail numbers 3512, 3513, 3514, 3515 and 3516.…Read the story

All stories in Afterburner

Questions & Answers

Everything people ask about the Polish Air Force

What aircraft does the Polish Air Force fly in 2026?

The combat fleet is 47 F-16C/D Block 52+ Jastrząb fighters, 16 F-35A Husarz stealth fighters (eight of them in Poland, eight training in the US), 12 FA-50GF light fighters and 14 MiG-29s that are being withdrawn. Pilots train on the PZL-130 Orlik and 15 M-346 Bielik jets. Transport and special aircraft are five C-130H and one C-130E C-130 Hercules, 16 C-295M, M28 Bryza light transports, two Gulfstream G550s, two Boeing 737 BBJ2s, a 737-800 and two Saab 340 airborne early warning aircraft, plus 24 Bayraktar TB2 drones and leased MQ-9A Reapers.

How many F-35s does Poland have?

Poland ordered 32 F-35As on 31 January 2020 for 4.6 billion dollars. By September 2026 it had accepted 16: three landed at the 32nd Tactical Air Base at Łask on 22 May 2026, five more on 28 August, and eight remain at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas, where Polish pilots train. Fourteen are due to be in Poland by the end of 2026 and the rest by 2030.

Why is the Polish F-35 called Husarz?

Husarz means hussar, after the winged hussars, the heavy cavalry of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The name was given to the Polish F-35A and used at the formal acceptance ceremony at Łask on 12 June 2026, attended by President Karol Nawrocki.

Where are Poland’s F-35s based?

At Łask, the 32nd Tactical Air Base in central Poland, where the first squadron is standing up alongside the base’s F-16s. The plan is to split the fleet between Łask and Świdwin, the former Su-22 base in Pomerania.

What happened to Poland’s MiG-29s?

Poland received 44 MiG-29s between 1989 and 2004 from the Soviet Union, Czechia and Germany. In spring 2023 it became the first country to give Ukraine combat jets, sending 14 by most reports. The last 14 at Malbork were to follow in a deal that would have given Poland Ukrainian drone and missile technology, but on 29 June 2026 the defence minister said Kyiv had not kept its side, and the ministry announced on 2 July that the jets would be withdrawn instead, on a confidential schedule.

Has Poland retired the Su-22?

Yes. The Chief of the General Staff ordered the Su-22’s withdrawal on 17 March 2025, and three two-seaters flew the farewell on 10 September 2025 over the bases that had flown the type, landing at Mirosławiec. Poland had received 90 Su-22M4s and 20 two-seat Su-22UM3Ks from 1984; 18 were still airworthy at the end.

Why are the FA-50PL fighters late?

The 36 FA-50PLs ordered in September 2022 were due from 2025. An annex signed on 9 January 2026 moved the first delivery to mid-2027 and the last to early 2029. The builder, KAI, says the Polish version’s new AESA radar, air refuelling and AIM-9X and AIM-120 missiles needed more development and flight testing; Korean reporting also blamed slow US export approvals. Critics in Poland point out that the type had not flown by January 2026. The 12 FA-50GFs delivered in 2023 were themselves grounded from December 2023 to March 2024 over missing certificates.

Is Poland upgrading its F-16s?

Yes. On 13 August 2025 Poland signed a contract worth about 3.8 billion dollars net to modernise all its F-16s from C/D Block 52 to F-16V Block 72 standard, the version Slovakia bought new. The work will be done at the WZL-2 plant in Bydgoszcz between 2028 and 2038, with test flights in the United States.

Was the Polish Air Force destroyed on the ground on 1 September 1939?

No. That is a legend. Before the war the combat units dispersed to field airstrips, and the Luftwaffe’s first raids hit largely empty bases. The air force fought for two and a half weeks with obsolescent PZL P.11 fighters and a small force of modern PZL.37 Łoś bombers, and was defeated by numbers and performance, not surprise. The survivors flew to Romania after the Soviet invasion of 17 September.

How many German aircraft did Polish pilots shoot down in 1939?

Polish fighter pilots claimed about 126 German aircraft, and one order-of-battle count credits 134 across all types. German records show about 285 aircraft destroyed from all causes in the campaign, many of them to anti-aircraft fire, so the fighter claims are claims rather than confirmed kills. The Polish Air Force lost about 325 aircraft to all causes.

Was 303 Squadron the best squadron in the Battle of Britain?

It was the highest-scoring squadron in Fighter Command. No. 303 (Polish) Squadron claimed 126 German aircraft in 42 days from 31 August 1940, flying Hurricanes. Post-war checking against German records reduced that to about 79 by the RAF Museum’s count, and to around 59 in the work of the Polish historian Jacek Kutzner, but even the lower figures leave it at or near the top. 145 Polish pilots fought in the battle and 29 were killed.

Did Polish pilots fight under the RAF?

They fought under its operational control but as a Polish service. Agreements of 11 June and 5 August 1940 made the Polish Air Force a sovereign force of the Polish government in exile, with its own squadrons numbered from 300 upwards, flying beside the Royal Air Force. About 17,000 men and more than 1,300 women served in it by 1947.

How many Polish airmen died in the Second World War?

The Polish War Memorial at Northolt counts 2,408 Polish airmen who died in the service of the Polish Air Force in the West; Krzystek’s List gives about 1,900 killed, a narrower count. Bomber crews suffered worst: 301 Squadron lost 139 of the 439 men who served in it in less than three years.

Did Polish crews fly to the Warsaw Uprising?

Yes. From 4 August to 22 September 1944 Polish, British and South African crews flew Halifaxs and Liberators from Brindisi in Italy to drop supplies to the Home Army in Warsaw, on flights of up to eleven hours. The Warsaw Rising Museum counts 257 airmen killed, 112 of them Polish, 90 British, 43 South African and 12 American.

Were Polish airmen invited to the 1946 Victory Parade?

Not as a force. The Polish forces that had fought in the West were at first left out of the London parade; a small group of 25 pilots was eventually invited and declined in protest. Many Polish airmen never went home, and some who did were imprisoned.

What happened to Polish airmen who returned home after the war?

Many were watched or persecuted. The fighter ace Stanisław Skalski returned in 1947, was arrested in June 1948 on a false espionage charge, sentenced to death in April 1950, had the sentence commuted and was released only in April 1956. In August 1952 six air force officers, most of them veterans of the Polish bomber squadrons in Britain, were executed after a fabricated conspiracy trial. The cases were reopened and dropped for lack of any evidence in 1956.

What were the Lim fighters?

Lim was the Polish designation for Soviet MiGs built at WSK Mielec: the Lim-1 and Lim-2 were the MiG-15, and the Lim-5 and Lim-6 were the MiG-17. More than 1,300 were built between 1952 and 1960, about 250 of them for export, and the last Lim-6s left Polish service in 1992.

Did Polish air units fight on the Eastern Front?

Yes. From July 1943 Polish fighter, attack and bomber regiments were formed in the Soviet Union, flying Yak-9s, Il-2s, Pe-2s and Po-2s under the Soviet general Fyodor Polynin, with many Soviet officers in their ranks. They flew about 5,800 combat sorties from the Vistula to Berlin, and their regiments became the core of the post-war air force.

What caused the Smolensk crash of 2010?

On 10 April 2010 a Polish Air Force Tu-154M carrying President Lech Kaczyński, the Chief of the General Staff and the Air Force commander crashed on approach to Smolensk, killing all 96 on board. The Polish state commission’s report of July 2011 found that the crew descended below the minimum altitude too fast in poor visibility and began the go-around too late; the ministry says it remains the only binding finding. A later subcommission under Antoni Macierewicz claimed explosions on board; it was dissolved in December 2023, and a ministry review in 2024 judged its work negatively in every respect it examined.

What happened to the 36th Special Aviation Regiment?

It was disbanded after the Smolensk crash, and the 1st Air Transport Base took over government flights on 1 January 2012. Until new aircraft arrived the government chartered Embraer 175s from LOT. Two Gulfstream G550s arrived in 2017, a Boeing 737-800 in 2017 and two Boeing 737 BBJ2s in October 2021.

Does Poland shoot down Russian drones?

It did on the night of 9–10 September 2025, when the government counted 19 violations of Polish airspace by Russian drones. Polish F-16s and Dutch F-35s, supported by an Italian AWACS, German Patriots and a NATO tanker, shot down those that posed a direct threat. Prime Minister Donald Tusk called it the first time Russian drones had been shot down over NATO territory; Poland invoked Article 4 and NATO launched Eastern Sentry two days later.

What was the Przewodów incident?

On 15 November 2022 a missile fell on the village of Przewodów near the Ukrainian border and killed two men. Polish investigators concluded that it had most likely been fired by Ukrainian air defence. The investigation was later suspended while prosecutors waited for legal assistance from Ukraine.

How much does Poland spend on defence?

More, as a share of its economy, than any other NATO member: about 4.5 per cent of GDP in 2025 by NATO’s estimate (some reports give 4.3) and about 200 billion złoty, or 4.8 per cent, planned for 2026. The ministry’s own budget carries 124.8 billion złoty in 2026; much of the rest, mainly for new equipment, comes through the Armed Forces Support Fund.

Does the Polish Air Force have airborne early warning aircraft?

Two Saab 340 AEW with the Erieye radar, bought in July 2023 and delivered in March and June 2024 — the first Polish airborne early warning aircraft. They are a stopgap: as reported in January 2026, Maj. Gen. Ireneusz Nowak said their radar would reach the end of its life by 2030 and that they lack Link 16. Talks about GlobalEye announced in 2023 did not lead to a contract, and no replacement programme had been formally launched by early 2026.

Is Poland buying tanker aircraft?

It plans to. At the start of September 2026 Spain approved buying at least seven Airbus A330 MRTT tanker-transports jointly with Poland under the EU’s SAFE loan programme, with four intended for Poland by 2030 to refuel its F-16s and F-35As. A signed Polish contract had not been reported in the sources checked.

What is the Polish MQ-9 at Mirosławiec?

Two different things. Since 2018 the US Air Force has flown MQ-9A Reapers from Mirosławiec. Separately, Poland has leased its own MQ-9As since February 2023 and in December 2024 ordered three MQ-9B SkyGuardians with two ground stations, due by early 2027. Mirosławiec is also home to the Polish Air Force’s 12th Unmanned Aircraft Base and its 24 Bayraktar TB2 drones.

What is the School of Eaglets?

The Szkoła Orląt is the air force academy at Dęblin, created by order of 5 November 1925 at Grudziądz and moved to Dęblin in 1927. It still trains Polish military pilots; the 41st Training Air Base there flies the M-346 Bielik, which replaced the TS-11 Iskra in 2020.

When is Polish Air Force Day?

28 August, Polish Aviation Day, marking the 1932 victory of Żwirko and Wigura in the Challenge contest; the date was adopted in 1993. The service itself dates its birth to 5 November 1918, the first Polish combat sortie over Lwów, which was the aviation holiday until 1931. From 1950 to 1992 communist Poland used 23 August, which commemorated the 1st Fighter Regiment Warszawa’s entry into combat in 1944.

Continue the tour

Read the aircraft the Polish Air Force flew

Every type with a page in the Book of Beasts, in service first, then by the year it left the fleet.

Sources & Further Reading

Every fact, checked

Ministry of National Defence (Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej) — home pagecurrent minister: Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz
MON: F-35 dla Polskicontract of 31 January 2020: 32 F-35A, 4.6 billion dollars, 87.3 million dollars per aircraft without engine, deliveries 2024–2030, 24 pilots and 90 technicians trained in the US
MON: Prezentacja pierwszego polskiego samolotu F-35first Polish F-35 presented at Fort Worth on 28 August 2024, Polish Aviation Day
MON: Od dziś na naszym niebie będą czuwać polskie F-35first three F-35A land at the 32nd Tactical Air Base, Łask, 22 May 2026; eight simulators and support to 2030
National Security Bureau: the President at the F-35 Husarz acceptance ceremonyceremony at Łask on 12 June 2026 attended by President Karol Nawrocki
Łódź Voivodeship Office: F-35 oficjalnie przyjęte do służbyformal acceptance of the first three F-35s on 12 June 2026
The Aviationist: First Polish F-35s arrive at Łask airbase (25 May 2026)serials 3509–3511 to Poland; 3501–3508 at Ebbing ANGB, Arkansas; first flight 2 December 2024; fleet to be split between Łask and Świdwin
Rzeczpospolita: Pięć kolejnych F-35 wylądowało w Łasku (August 2026)serials 3512–3516 land on 28 August 2026, eight in Poland; 14 planned in Poland by the end of 2026
Kresy.pl: Pięć kolejnych F-35 wylądowało w Łaskucross-check: eight in Poland and eight at Ebbing for training
MON: Polskie F-16 przejdą modernizację do standardu F-16V13 August 2025: about 3.8 billion dollars net to upgrade 48 F-16C/D Block 52 to F-16V Block 72 at WZL-2 Bydgoszcz, 2028–2038
Lockheed Martin: Twenty Years of Polish F-16 Airpower (2026)Peace Sky programme; first flight 14 March 2006; Quick Reaction Alert from 2010
US Air Force via GlobalSecurity: U.S., Poland finalize deal on F-16s (April 2003)signed 18 April 2003: 36 F-16C and 12 F-16D; Gripen and Mirage 2000-5 were the rivals
FlightGlobal: Loan and offsets key as Poland opts for 48 F-16s (January 2003)the US loan package and the offset promises that decided the competition
F-16.net: Poland — Polish Air Force users pagedecision 27 December 2002, contract 18 April 2003, deliveries 2006–2009
MILMAG: Fatal F-16 Tiger Demo Team crash (August 2025)28 August 2025, Radom: Maj. Maciej Krakowian of the 31st Tactical Air Base killed
MON: Samoloty FA-50framework agreement of 27 July 2022: 12 FA-50 Block 10 plus 36 FA-50PL
MON: Samoloty FA-50 wzmocnią zdolności Sił Powietrznychexecutive contract signed at Mińsk Mazowiecki on 16 September 2022; 36 FA-50PL originally due 2025–2028
Rynek Lotniczy: Pierwsze dwa samoloty FA-50 już w Polscefirst two FA-50GF arrive by Boeing 747 freighter, 9 July 2023
Defence24: FA-50GF w komplecielast two of 12 FA-50GF arrive 29 November 2023; FA-50PL to get air refuelling, PhantomStrike AESA radar and AIM-120
Defence24: Szef MON o FA-50 (April 2024)minister on the months-long grounding for missing certificates
ZBiAM: MON odpowiada na interpelację w sprawie FA-50GF (March 2025)answer signed by Paweł Bejda: grounded late December 2023 to mid-March 2024; 874 flying hours to 15 January 2025; cost per flying hour of FA-50GF, F-16 and MiG-29
WNP: Znamy datę dostarczenia samolotów FA-50PL (16 January 2026)annex of 9 January 2026: first FA-50PL mid-2027, last early 2029; AIM-9X integration agreement with the US of 13 January 2026
Forsal: Myśliwce dla Polski opóźnione o dwa lata (January 2026)the FA-50PL had not yet flown in January 2026; the critics’ case
Interia GeekWeek: Koreanie zapowiadają opóźnienie FA-50PL. Agencja Uzbrojenia odpowiadaKorean reporting of an 18-month slip blamed on US export approvals; the Armament Agency’s response
Defence24: FA-50PL opóźnione. Prezes KAI o nowym harmonogramie (September 2026)KAI’s side: development and flight testing of the AESA radar and air-to-air weapons
The Aviationist: Poland confirms plan to transfer all MiG-29s to Ukraine (17 January 2026)14 MiG-29s left (11 single-seat, 3 two-seat), down from 28 at the start of 2022
Army Recognition: Poland confirms transfer of up to nine MiG-29s (January 2026)Deputy Minister Paweł Zalewski; no aircraft actually delivered
MiGFlug Afterburner: Poland halts MiG-29 transfer to Ukraine over drone deal29 June 2026: the minister says Kyiv did not honour the MiGs-for-drones arrangement; the last aircraft are with the 41st Tactical Squadron at Malbork
United24: Poland will decommission remaining MiG-29 jets (2 July 2026)no modernisation; the phase-out timetable is classified
Defense Express: Poland decides to scrap its remaining MiG-29s (3 July 2026)Ukrainian view of the decision; 14 aircraft, 2011–2014 avionics upgrade
The War Zone: Poland’s last MiG-29 Fulcrums being lined up for transfer14 aircraft donated in 2023, first four in April 2023
Ukrainska Pravda: Polish PM reveals when MiG-29s will be transferred (14 March 2023)about 30 MiG-29s in Polish service in March 2023
MON: Komunikat on the MiG-29 accident of 18 December 2017pilot survived; preliminary findings
MON: Szef MON o katastrofie wojskowego MiG-29 (July 2018)6 July 2018 near Pasłęk: pilot of the 22nd Tactical Air Base killed; MiG-29 flying suspended
MON: MON przyspiesza z zakupem nowych myśliwców (November 2018)the Harpia new-fighter programme accelerated after the MiG-29 crashes
Defence24: Pożegnanie z polskimi samolotami Su-22Chief of the General Staff’s withdrawal order of 17 March 2025; 18 airworthy at the end
Altair: Pożegnanie Su-22last flight and ceremony 10 September 2025; 90 Su-22M4 and 20 Su-22UM3K received
WP Tech: Ostatni lot poradzieckich maszyn. Polska wycofuje Su-22farewell announced for the Radom air show, August 2025
MON: Samoloty M-346 Bielikselection February 2014, first two November 2016, deliveries complete 2022, 15 in the fleet
Defence24: Umowa na kolejne M-346 (February 2018)contract of 27 February 2014 for eight aircraft, 1.432 billion zł gross; penalties for late delivery
MILMAG: Dostawa samolotów M-346 Bielik sfinalizowana (December 2022)third and final batch; 16 aircraft delivered in total
WP Tech: Samoloty M-346 Bielik. Koniec dostaw8 + 4 + 4 = 16 ordered and delivered
Polska Zbrojna: Katastrofa M-346. Nie żyje pilot Bielika (July 2024)12 July 2024, Gdynia: Maj. Robert Jeł of the 41st Training Air Base killed
Defence24: M-346 Bielik rozbił się w Gdyniaircraft 7714, delivered 2022; the Inspector’s account
ZBiAM: Dostawa samolotów PZL-130 Orlik TC-II Advanced zakończona (October 2022)12 upgraded aircraft complete; 28 of the type in service at Radom
MON: Modernizacja samolotów Orlikcontract of 19 December 2017 for 12 aircraft, 186 million zł
ZBiAM: Baza w Powidzu z kompletem samolotów C-130H Hercules (May 2026)all five ex-USAF C-130H in service; one C-130E (1501) still on the fleet
MILMAG: 100,000 hours in the air for Polish Airbus C295M16 aircraft; first contract 28 August 2001, first delivery 2003; Kraków
FlightGlobal: Poland orders five more C295 transports (July 2012)262 million dollars; fleet to 16
MON: Modernizujemy flotę transportową Sił Powietrznych (December 2024)13 December 2024: 16 C-295M to be upgraded by Airbus, 102.7 million euros, 2025–2033
Polska Zbrojna: Mija 14 lat od katastrofy C-295MMirosławiec, 23 January 2008: 20 killed; the commission’s findings
Altair: MON kupuje 12 Bryz bez przetargu (December 2008)12 M28B/PT for 635 million zł, when the Air Force had 17 M28s
ZBiAM: 1 Baza Lotnictwa Transportowego w Warszawieformed 1 January 2012 after the 36th Special Air Transport Regiment was disbanded
ZBiAM: Flota samolotów Sił Powietrznych do przewozu VIP-ów w kompleciedelivery dates and names of the two G550s, the 737-800 and the two BBJ2s
Saab: order for airborne early warning aircraft from Poland (25 July 2023)two Saab 340 AEW, about 600 million kronor
Rynek Lotniczy: Pierwszy Saab 340 AEW dla wojska już w Polscearrived 6 March 2024; ex-Swedish, ex-UAE airframe
Rynek Lotniczy: Kolejny Saab 340 AEW dla wojska już w Polscesecond aircraft arrived 11 June 2024
The Aviationist: New AEW&C programme on the horizon for Poland (January 2026)the Saab 340’s radar life ends around 2030 and it lacks Link 16; GlobalEye and others in view, no programme launched
Defense Mirror: Poland in advanced talks to purchase GlobalEye (May 2023)the 2023 GlobalEye talks announced by Mariusz Błaszczak
MON: Bezzałogowce MQ-9B SkyGuardian (December 2024)contract with General Atomics; delivery by the first quarter of 2027; replaces MQ-9A leased since February 2023
General Atomics: Poland to acquire three MQ-9B SkyGuardians (16 December 2024)three aircraft and two ground control stations
ZBiAM: Bayraktary w komplecie (May 2024)24 TB2 in four sets, contract 24 May 2021, last set 16 May 2024, 12th Unmanned Aircraft Base, Mirosławiec
Defence24: Bayraktary wkrótce w Mirosławcu (October 2022)about 270 million dollars; US Reapers at Mirosławiec since 2018
ZBiAM: Śmigłowce Wojska PolskiegoAir Force helicopters by unit, including search-and-rescue groups and the W-3WA SAR
Defence24: 15 lat Puszczyków w Wojsku Polskim (November 2021)22 SW-4 in service (April 2021), all at Dęblin since 2010
Kurier Wileński: Polska i Hiszpania wspólnie zakupią samoloty tankujące Airbus (2 September 2026)joint SAFE purchase of A330 MRTT with Spain; four for Poland by 2030; not yet a signed contract
MON: Zmiany na stanowiskach służbowych w Wojsku Polskim (August 2026)the minister refers to further F-35 deliveries and pending tanker agreements
MON: Program SAFESAFE contracts of 28–30 May 2026, none of them for aircraft
MON: 37. Dywizjon Rakietowy Obrony Powietrznej osiągnął pełną gotowość operacyjną systemu Wisła (December 2025)full operational capability of the first Patriot squadron, 3rd Warsaw Air Defence Missile Brigade, Sochaczew, 18 December 2025
MON: Podstawowe informacje o budżecie resortu obrony narodowej na 2026 r.ministry budget and the Air Force budget line for 2026
Money.pl: 200 mld zł na obronność w 2026 r. (August 2026)about 200 billion zł, 4.8 per cent of GDP, in 2026
Notes from Poland: Poland largest relative defence spender in NATO (2 September 2025)NATO estimate: 4.5 per cent of GDP in 2025, 3.8 per cent in 2024
PAP: Poland leads NATO in defence spending (2025)gives 4.3 per cent for 2025 and 3.76 per cent for 2024; the 2025 figures differ between reports
Chancellery of the Prime Minister: Poland moves to invoke NATO Article 4 (10 September 2025)19 airspace violations overnight; drones posing a direct threat shot down, the last at 06:45
Chancellery of the Prime Minister: Airspace violation repelled (10 September 2025)Polish aircraft and Dutch F-35s; airports temporarily closed
NATO: Statement by the Secretary General, 10 September 2025Polish F-16s, Dutch F-35s, Italian AWACS, German Patriots and a NATO MRTT involved
NATO: Statement by the North Atlantic Council on recent airspace violations by Russia (23 September 2025)Eastern Sentry launched 12 September 2025
Polska Zbrojna: Tragedia w Przewodowie — śledztwo zawieszone15 November 2022: two men killed; most likely a Ukrainian air defence missile; investigation suspended
Ministry of National Defence: Baltic Air Policing Missionmission since 2004; the 62nd rotation, November 2023 to March 2024, from Ämari
NATO Allied Air Command: Polish jets deploy to Šiauliai (31 March 2025)four F-16s; Poland’s first Baltic rotation was in 2006
Defence24: Zakończenie misji w Kuwejcie. Lotnicy już w Łasku (July 2018)20 June 2016 to 30 June 2018; four F-16s, about 3,600 hours; 621 personnel in four rotations
Defence24: Rok polskich F-16 w Kuwejcie. 2000 godzin lotu (2017)first operational deployment of Polish F-16s abroad; reconnaissance only
Altair: Rozformowanie Dowództwa Sił Powietrznych (December 2013)Air Force Command disbanded; from 1 January 2014 an Inspectorate in the General Command and an Air Operations Centre under the Operational Command
Portal Obronny: Nowy Inspektor Sił Powietrznych (13 October 2025)Tomasz Jatczak Inspector from 20 October 2025; career
Defence24: MON: zmiany w Dowództwie Generalnym (13 October 2025)Ireneusz Nowak, Inspector since 2023, becomes Deputy General Commander
Polska Zbrojna: Awanse w Dowództwie Generalnym (20 October 2025)the appointment decisions handed over
Rzeczpospolita: Karol Nawrocki wskazał 21 oficerów (13 August 2026)Jatczak promoted to generał dywizji (major general)
Muzeum Sił Powietrznych w Dęblinie: 5 listopada — narodziny polskich skrzydełthe first combat sortie of 5 November 1918 over Lwów; the 1925 founding of the School of Eaglets
Lotnictwo i Ludzie: Święto Lotnictwa — historia obchodówthe dates of Polish aviation day 1918–today
IPN: Lotnictwo wielkopolskie 1919–1920capture of Ławica airfield on 6 January 1919 and the Greater Poland squadrons
Krawczyński: Lotnictwo polskie w latach II Rzeczypospolitej (Pedagogical University of Kraków repository)organisation, squadrons in 1920, personnel strength to 1939, schools and industry
IPN Przystanek Historia: Historia Meriana C. Coopera i 7. Eskadry Myśliwskiej21 American pilots, 462 sorties in 1920, five Americans killed, Cooper shot down 13 July 1920
WielkaHistoria: Polskie i niemieckie lotnictwo we wrześniu 1939 roku (after Wacław Król)strengths and losses on both sides as given by the fighter pilot and historian Wacław Król
Polish Combatants’ Association, Ottawa: Polskie lotnictwo myśliwskie w kampanii wrześniowejPolish fighter claims and losses in 1939; evacuation to Romania
Historykon: Kampania wrześniowa w powietrzudispersal to field airstrips before the war; the Luftwaffe bombed empty bases
Tojuzbylo: Lotniczy wrzesień 1939 roku, cz. 3Bomber Brigade losses and the evacuation of bombers to Romania
Krzystek’s List: Polish Air Force in Great Britain 1940–194717,136 airmen and more than 1,300 women named from RAF service records
Krzystek’s List: Polish Air Force in the WestFrance 1939–1940, squadrons, sorties, claims and losses to 1945
Imperial War Museums: The Polish pilots who flew in the Battle of Britain145 pilots, 29 killed; 303 and 302 Squadron claims; the Victory Parade
RAF Museum: Poles and Czechoslovaks in the Battle of Britain303 Squadron: 126 claimed, about 79 after post-war checking
Battle of Britain Monument: The Polish War Memorial, Northoltunveiled 2 November 1948; 2,408 Polish airmen killed
Warsaw Rising Museum: The tragic yet heroic tale of Captain Szostak and the crew of Liberator KG890Warsaw airlift 4 August–22 September 1944: 257 airmen killed by nationality
Arma Hobby: The 1st Fighter Aviation Regiment Warszawa 1943–45formation at Grigoryevskoye, Yak-1b and Yak-9, about 1,400 sorties, largely Soviet personnel
PolishAirForce.pl: 1 Pułk Lotnictwa Myśliwskiego Warszawa — losses and victoriesnine air victories and 11 killed
ZBiAM: Polskie lotnictwo wojskowe 1945–2025, cz. 4fighters 1945–1960s, Lim production at Mielec
ZBiAM: Polskie lotnictwo wojskowe 1945–2025, cz. 2organisation in the 1970s and 1980s; nuclear-capable Su-7 regiment
ZBiAM: Polskie lotnictwo wojskowe 1945–2025, cz. 3NATO accession commitments and the renaming as Siły Powietrzne on 1 July 2004
IPN: As myśliwski, ofiara represji stalinowskich (Stanisław Skalski)arrest 1948, death sentence 1950, release 1956
Dzieje.pl: 13 maja 1952 komunistyczny sąd skazał na śmierć sześciu lotnikówsix air force officers executed on 7 August 1952
State Archive in Warsaw: members of the Military Council of National Salvation (WRON)Gen. Tadeusz Krepski, commander of the Air Force, a member
MON: Raport końcowy KBWLLP dot. katastrofy smoleńskiej dostępny na stronie MONthe 2011 report is the only binding document on the causes
Wprost Historia: Katastrofa smoleńska — najważniejsze faktysummary of the 2011 Polish commission’s findings and of the later subcommission’s claims
Rzeczpospolita: Podkomisja smoleńska Antoniego Macierewicza rozwiązana (December 2023)15 December 2023; what the subcommission’s 2022 report claimed
Polska Zbrojna: Rozliczenie podkomisji Macierewicza (October 2024)the ministry team’s 790-page assessment, costs and referrals to prosecutors
Defence24: Transformacja Sił Powietrznych na ostatniej prostejthe two tactical air wings and their bases
MIL AIP Poland, MIL AD 4 aerodrome data (AIRAC AMDT MIL 09-26, effective 3 September 2026)Polish Air Navigation Services Agency; reference points, elevations, runway designators, lengths and surfaces for EPKS, EPLK, EPMB, EPMM, EPSN, EPPW, EPDE and EPMI. Elevations converted from feet and rounded to the metre.
AIP Polska (eAIP IFR), AD 2 aerodrome data (AIRAC AMDT 09-26, effective 3 September 2026)Used for Kraków/Balice (EPKK), Warsaw Chopin (EPWA) and Warszawa-Radom (EPRA).
AIP Polska (eAIP VFR), aerodrome EPPI Piła (AIRAC AMDT VFR 09-26)Aerodrome reference point for Piła; administrator Aeroklub Ziemi Pilskiej.
MIL AIP Poland, AIRAC AMDT MIL 09/26 (GEN 0 checklists)List of the 15 military aerodromes in the MIL AIP (EPCE, EPDA, EPDE, EPIR, EPKS, EPLK, EPLY, EPMB, EPMI, EPMM, EPOK, EPPR, EPPW, EPSN, EPTM).
Polska Zbrojna: Generacje obok siebie (January 2025)3rd squadron of 31 BLT; Norwegian F-35As at Krzesiny since December 2024; F-35 basing at Łask and Świdwin
Polska Zbrojna: Tygrysy nad Poznaniem (May 2018)First NATO Tiger Meet in Poland; 6th squadron of 31 BLT
Polska Zbrojna: Skrzydlate tygrysy nad Morzem Jońskim (May 2026)6 Eskadra Lotnicza of 31 BLT at Tiger Meet 2026, Araxos
Ministry of National Defence: Natowskie "Tygrysy" szkolą się w Krzesinach6 ELT joined the NATO Tiger Association in 2014
Polska Zbrojna: Dekada jastrzębi (2016)First F-16s landed at Krzesiny in 2006; 48 delivered by 2008 and split between Krzesiny and Łask
Polska Zbrojna: Wiedzieliśmy, że coś się wydarzy31 BLT F-16 patrols from 24 February 2022
National Security Bureau: Prezydent składa wizytę w bazie wojskowej w Łasku (11 March 2014)32 BLT formed on 1 January 2010 from the 32nd Air Base and the 10th Tactical Air Squadron; 16 F-16s
Ministry of National Defence: Od dziś na naszym niebie będą czuwać polskie F-35 (22 May 2026)First three F-35As at Łask
Polska Zbrojna: F-35 zmienia wszystko (June 2026)11 more F-35s due in 2026; certification mid-2027; FOC 2030
Polska Zbrojna: Czekamy na F-35The new F-35 zone at Łask; hangar about 120 metres wide
Polska Zbrojna: F-35 wylądują w ŁaskuChoice of Łask; runway lengthened by 500 metres, work completed in 2019 with US co-financing
Polska Zbrojna: F-16 kończą misję w Estonii (May 2020)PKW Orlik rotation from 32 BLT
USAFE: USAF activates AvDet in Poland (9 November 2012)Detachment 1, 52nd Operations Group
USAFE: Lt. Col. Harman takes command of Aviation Detachment in Poland (September 2014)Places the detachment at Łask
USAFE: Oklahoma ANG F-16s deploy to Polish air base for Aviation Detachment Rotation (July 2024)Łask
Polska Zbrojna: Open Air Day w Królewie Malborskim22 BLT formed 1 January 2011; MiG-29 main equipment; 1st Tactical Air Wing
Polska Zbrojna: Generał Skalski patronem MiG-a-29 (July 2015)Skalski as patron of 22 BLT; traditions of the 142nd Fighter Squadron
Polska Zbrojna: Katastrofa myśliwca MiG-29. Pilot nie żyje (July 2018)Crash near Pasłęk, 6 July 2018
Polska Zbrojna: Mińsk żegna MiGi-29 (29 December 2022)MiG-29s move from Mińsk to Malbork, keep combat duty
Polska Zbrojna: Myśliwce z Mińska Mazowieckiego przebazowane do MalborkaEarlier temporary relocation during joint repairs
Polska Zbrojna: Polskie MiG-i-29 już w Ukrainie (5 April 2023)Transfers of MiG-29s to Ukraine
NATO Allied Air Command: Royal Air Force Typhoons arrive in Malbork, Poland (March 2025)No. II (AC) Squadron, 27 March 2025, four months
Polska Zbrojna: Krok ku niezależności (FA-50GF)12 FA-50GF at Mińsk since November 2023; FA-50PL deliveries 2025–2028, two squadrons at Mińsk and one at Świdwin
Ministry of National Defence: Samoloty FA-50Agreement approved 27 July 2022; 12 Block 10 plus 36 FA-50PL
Polska Zbrojna: Z Su-22 dronów nie będzie (December 2025)Farewell flight September 2025; formal withdrawal 31 December 2025
Polska Zbrojna: Duże lotniska, duże pieniądzeŚwidwin rebuild for FA-50PL and F-35A, about 2.5 billion zloty; Zegrze Pomorskie
BIP: Dowództwo 1 Skrzydła Lotnictwa Taktycznego w ŚwidwinieSeat of the 1st Tactical Air Wing
BIP: 2 Skrzydło Lotnictwa Taktycznego, PoznańSeat of the 2nd Tactical Air Wing
Polska Zbrojna: Więcej Herculesów w wojskuFive further C-130Hs; 33 BLTr in the 3rd Air Transport Wing
Polska Zbrojna: Tons on BoardFive C-130s at Powidz; aid flights for Ukraine
Polska Zbrojna: Nowa jednostka przeznaczona do wsparcia wojsk specjalnych (2023)Special Operations Air Unit formed 1 February 2023
Polska Zbrojna: 7 Eskadra Działań Specjalnych na "Anakondzie"Formed 2011, Mi-17
405th Army Field Support Brigade: First batch of armored vehicles arrives at Powidz APS-2 worksite (28 June 2024)US Army site at Powidz
Ministry of National Defence: Wizyta wiceministra Bejdy w 33. Bazie Lotnictwa Transportowego w Powidzu (April 2025)Powidz as a strategic site
Defence24: Armie Świata: Siły Powietrzne Rzeczpospolitej (July 2022)Specialist press, cross-checking only: wing structure and squadron numbers not confirmed elsewhere
Polska Zbrojna: Samoloty C-295M w Wojsku Polskim służą już 20 lat (2023)First C-295M at Balice in summer 2003; 16 in service
Polska Zbrojna: Utraceni, lecz nie zapomniani (January 2024)C-295M crash at Mirosławiec, 23 January 2008, 20 killed
Polish Aviation Museum, Kraków: C.2 Morawica/BaliceHistory of Balice: 1930s landing ground, 1939, 55th and 13th Transport Aviation Regiments, civil airport from 1964
Ministry of National Defence: B737 "Józef Piłsudski" w Polsce (November 2017)First Boeing 737-800 for 1 BLTr
Ministry of National Defence: Uroczyste przyjęcie do służby samolotu Gulfstream G550 (1. Baza Lotnictwa Transportowego)G550 service entry at 1 BLTr
Ministry of National Defence: Raport końcowy KBWLLP dot. katastrofy smoleńskiejFinal report of July 2011, the only binding document on the causes
Ministry of National Defence: review of the Smoleńsk subcommission (24 October 2024)41 notices to prosecutors; 96 killed
Polska Zbrojna: Nawet opozycja dobrze ocenia SiemoniakaDisbandment of the 36th Special Air Transport Regiment announced two days after Siemoniak took office
Polish Air Force University (LAW): Historia Szkoły OrłątDates of the Dęblin school, 1925–2018
Muzeum Sił Powietrznych, Dęblin: Dębliński Węzeł LotniskFrench pilot school 1920; pre-war airfield network; destruction in 1939
Polska Zbrojna: Kolejne Bieliki wylądowały w Dęblinie (2020)First pair November 2016; ten at Dęblin; 16 planned
Ministry of National Defence: Kolejne Bieliki do szkolenia pilotów (March 2018)Four more M-346 plus option for four
National Security Bureau: Prezydent w 42. Bazie Lotnictwa Szkolnego (November 2013)42 BLSz operating from 1 January 2011; Orlik, Zlin 142, DA20; 4th Air Training Wing
Mazowiecki Urząd Wojewódzki: Uroczyste obchody święta 42. Bazy Lotnictwa Szkolnego w RadomiuNearly 100 years of training at Radom
Polska Zbrojna: Dobra wiadomość dla miłośników lotnictwa (2025)Orlik, Poland’s only military aerobatic team
Polska Zbrojna: Żołnierze z Mirosławca świętują (2018)12 BBSP formed early 2016; under 1st Tactical Air Wing; Orbiter
Ministry of National Defence: Pierwsze zestawy dronów Bayraktar trafiły do bazy w Mirosławcu (28 October 2022)TB2 to 12 BBSP
Ministry of National Defence: Bezzałogowce MQ-9B SkyGuardian (December 2024)MQ-9B from Q1 2027; leased MQ-9A delivered February 2023
Polska Zbrojna: Reapery dla PolskiMQ-9A lease, 70.6 million US dollars
Polska Zbrojna: "Żniwiarze" latają nad Polską (May 2018)US MQ-9s of the 52nd Expeditionary Operations Group at Mirosławiec
USAFE: MQ-9 detachment becomes fully operational (1 March 2019)52nd Expeditionary Operations Group Detachment 2
USAFE: U.S. MQ-9 Reapers temporarily relocate to Campia Turzii, RomaniaRunway works at Mirosławiec
Polish Aviation Museum, Kraków: Museum historyRakowice from 1912; military flying ended 23 March 1963; museum 1964 and 1968
Polish Aviation Museum, Kraków: Historia 2 Pułku Lotniczego2nd Air Regiment at Rakowice-Czyżyny
dzieje.pl: 100-lecie lotniska w PileFounded 9 April 1914; combat flying ended 1998
Polskie Radio Koszalin: 25 lat temu zakończyła się historia wojskowego lotnictwa w PileSu-22s left Piła on 17 December 1997
Głos Pomorza: W Redzikowie odsłonięto kolejny samolot-pomnikRegional press: 28 PLM formed 17 September 1952, disbanded end of 2000; agrees with polot.net (1952–2000)
Ministry of National Defence: The opening of the Redzikowo base is a milestone in missile defence (13 November 2024)Aegis Ashore; construction from 2016
Commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Central: NSF RedzikowoUS Navy installation supporting Aegis Ashore
IPN, Powstanie Wielkopolskie: Wielkopolskie lotnictwo wojskowe 1919–1921 (Krzysztof Hoff)Capture of Ławica, 26–30 serviceable aircraft; the page prints the year as 1918, an evident slip for 6 January 1919

Figures verified 2026-09-25. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.

Photographs: Photo: Alan Wilson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Polish Air Force F-16C. Gerard van der Schaaf / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · US Air Force F-35A shown. Airman 1st Class Alexander Cook / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Polish Air Force FA-50GF Fighting Eagle. Boevaya mashina / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0 de) · Polish Air Force MiG-29A. Ronnie Macdonald from Chelmsford and Largs, United Kingdom / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Polish Air Force M-346 Master Bielik. KrzywoProsto / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) · Polish Air Force PZL-130 Orlik TC-II. Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Polish Air Force C-130H Hercules. Jim van de Burgt from Wijk bij Duurstede, Netherlands / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Polish Air Force C-130E Hercules. Gerard van der Schaaf / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Polish Air Force C-295M. Aeroprints.com / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Polish Air Force M28 Bryza. Radomil / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Polish Air Force G550. Bartlomiej Mostek / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Polish Air Force 737 BBJ2. Colin Cooke Photo / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Polish Air Force 737-800. simon butler from halesowen, uk / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Polish Air Force Mi-8. Anna Zvereva / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Polish Air Force W-3WA Sokół. Janusz Jakubowski from Warsaw, Poland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Polish Air Force PZL Mi-2. Anna Zvereva / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Polish Air Force PZL SW-4 Puszczyk. Bartlomiej Mostek from Warszawa, Poland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Polish Air Force Bayraktar TB2. Boevaya mashina / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · MQ-9A Reaper in Poland. Senior Airman Preston Cherry / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Polish Air Force Su-22. Andrej-airliner / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Polish Su-20, Polish Aviation Museum. Igor123121 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Polish Su-7, Polish Aviation Museum. Igor123121 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Polish Air Force MiG-23. Rob Schleiffert from Holland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Polish Air Force MiG-21. Fotovlucht Vliegbasis Soesterberg / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Lim-6, Polish Aviation Museum. Igor123121 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Lim-2. Alan Wilson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Yak-23, Polish Aviation Museum. VargaA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Polish Air Force TS-11 Iskra. Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Polish Air Force Tu-154M. YSSYguy at English Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Il-10, Polish Army Museum. Bene Riobó / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Yak-9P, Polish Army Museum. Bene Riobó / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Mustang III of No. 315 (Polish) Squadron. Polish Official Photographer / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Spitfires of No. 303 (Polish) Squadron. Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Pilots of No. 303 (Polish) Squadron with a Hurricane, October 1940. Stanley Devon / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Mosquitoes of No. 305 (Polish) Squadron. K. Kobrzyński et al. / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Royal Air Force Battle. [[User:Ad Meskens|Ad Meskens You are free to use this picture for any purpose as / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · No. 305 (Polish) Squadron with a Wellington, 1942. Air Ministry (probably) / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Lancasters of No. 300 (Polish) Squadron. K. Kobrzyński et al. / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Royal Air Force Halifax. Royal Air Force official photographer, H. Hensser / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: 1st Lt. Ellen Brabo, Battle Group Poland / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Royal Air Force Mitchell. Royal Air Force official photographer / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Polish Air Force PZL.37 Łoś. Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Polish Air Force PZL.23 Karaś. Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · PZL P.11c, Polish Aviation Museum. Alan Wilson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Polish Potez XXV of the 3rd Air Regiment. Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Polish Air Force Breguet 19. Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Polish Bristol F.2B Fighter. Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Polish Fokker D.VII. Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Polish Air Force

Polish Air Force

The Polish Air Force story: born fighting, exiled, rebuilt twice

1918–1921: born fighting, over Lwów and the Vistula

1939: the September campaign, and the legend that needs correcting

1940–1947: the air force in exile, 303 Squadron and what came after

1943–1989: the Soviet model, the Lim fighters and the show trials

1999–2021: NATO, the F-16 and Smolensk

2022–2026: the great rearmament, and what has slipped

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