Poland gives MiGi-29 to Ukraine. In return, we will get anti-drone technologies

Deputy Prime Minister and head of the Ministry of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that Poland will strive to transfer the remaining MiG-29 aircraft to Ukraine. They are running out of resources and will no longer participate in operational activities, he pointed out. In return, Poland wants to use Ukrainian drone and anti-drone capabilities.

During Wednesday's press conference, the head of the Ministry of National Defense was asked about information on the planned transfer of MiG-29 fighters remaining in the Polish Air Force to Ukraine, which is defending itself from Russia. These are currently obsolete post-Soviet combat aircraft, used in Polish aviation since 1989 and intended to be replaced with more modern machines, including FA-50 combat trainers and F-35 multi-role aircraft.

Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that the Polish side “will try to transfer” the planes to Ukraine. – This is our intention – said the Deputy Prime Minister. As he also pointed out, in return Poland would like to benefit from Ukrainian experience in the field of drones and anti-drone systems, including “the possibility of transferring these technologies to Poland.”

The head of the Ministry of National Defense also emphasized that Polish MiGom-29 are running out of resources, i.e. periods during which safe and efficient use of the equipment can be guaranteed. In this situation, he added, MiGs will no longer participate in the operational activities of Polish aviation anyway.

This will be another donation of MiG-29 aircraft to Ukraine; Poland has already transferred half of the fleet of these aircraft – 14 machines – in 2023. Then the MiGs were withdrawn from the base in Mińsk Mazowiecki – in their place, FA-50s purchased in South Korea appeared there – to this day, however, they serve at the base in Malbork, Pomerania, from where, among others, take off. for the mission to intercept unidentified Russian aircraft appearing over the Baltic Sea. Aircraft from allied countries are also stationed at the same base on a rotational basis as part of the NATO Air Policing mission.

The transfer of the Malbork MiG-29s to Ukraine will be tantamount to the withdrawal of this type of equipment from the Air Force, and at the same time the withdrawal of the last post-Soviet combat aircraft from Poland. Deliveries of new F-35 fighters from the USA to Poland are scheduled to begin next year. However, machines of this type will not go to Malbork – the specialized infrastructure needed to operate them is being built in Świdwin, West Pomerania, and Łask, Łódź. A total of 32 F-35s are on order.

In the future, Malbork will probably receive – in addition to allied machines – further FA-50 training and combat aircraft, of which Poland will receive a total of 48 units; However, work is still underway to provide these machines with adequate armament, including modern AIM-9X Sidewinder anti-aircraft missiles. Currently, older AIM-9L missiles have been purchased for the FA-50, which will allow the planes to perform combat duties. FA-50s have already been incorporated into the air base in Mińsk Mazowiecki, after the local MiG-29s were transferred to Ukraine.

Currently, the core of the Polish combat aircraft fleet are F-16 aircraft, which are currently the most advanced and most capable combat aircraft in Polish aviation. The Air Force is currently equipped with 47 F-16s, permanently deployed at the bases in Łask and Krzesiny in Poznań. It is the F-16s that are engaged in missions related to, for example, the threat of violation of Polish airspace by drones from beyond the eastern border.

In turn, for the Ukrainian forces, MiGi-29 are one of the most commonly used and best known to pilots types of aircraft; their role is crucial, among others: in defense against Russian airstrikes and supporting Ukrainian ground-based air defense. (PAP)

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