Polish Air Force

The Siły Powietrzne (English: Polish Air Force – literally: Air Forces) is a military branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej (literally: Air-and-Air Defence Forces). In 2013 it consisted of roughly 24,400 military personnel and about 403 aircraft, distributed among 10 bases throughout Poland. The Polish Air Force is currently one of the most advanced in Central Europe, equipped since 2008 with the Lockheed Martin F-16C multirole jet fighter.

The Polish Air Force can trace its origins to the months following the end of World War I in 1918. Following the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany in 1939, much of the Polish Air Force was destroyed, although many of its pilots were able to continue fighting throughout World War II in air squadrons in Britain and the Soviet Union. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Poland has steadily reduced its reliance upon Russian-built aircraft and by 2012 will have three squadrons of American-built F-16 fighter aircraft fully operational.

List of Aircraft

 * Fighters
 * Lockheed Martin F-16C/D-52+ Jastrząb x 72 (Multirole Fighter)
 * Mikoyan MiG-29 "Fulcrum" x 60 (Air Superiority Fighter)
 * Sukhoi Su-22 "Fitter-F" x 32 (Attack Aircraft)
 * Transport Aircraft
 * Boeing C-17 Globemaster III x 4 (Strategic Airlifter)
 * CASA C-295M x 17 (Tactical Transport)
 * Lockheed Martin C-130E Hercules x 5 (Tactical Transport) to be replaced by twelve C-130J-30 Super Hercules
 * PZL An-28TD x 2 (Utility Transport)
 * PZL Bryza TD x 10 (Utility Transport)
 * PZL M28B Bryza x 13 (Utility Transport)
 * Trainer Aircraft
 * PZL TS-11 Iskra x 54 (Advanced Trainer) - twelve modernized TS-11s ordered
 * PZL-130TC-I Orlik x 21 (Trainer Aircraft)
 * PZL-130TC-II Orlik x 16 (Trainer Aircraft) - sixteen more on order
 * Diamond DA20 C-1 "Eclipse" x 5 (Trainer Aircraft) with three more on order
 * Helicopters
 * Mil Mi-8 x 10 (Transport/Passenger/SAR Helicopter) - ten more on order
 * Mil Mi-17 x 3 (Transport Helicopter)
 * PZL Mi-2 x 54 (Light Transport Helicopter)
 * PZL W-3 Sokół x 22 (Utility Helicopter, Rescue Helicopter, VIP Transport) - two more on order
 * PZL SW-4 Puszczyk x 24 (Light transport/trainer helicopter)

Future Procurement

 * 12 x Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules tactical transports
 * 4 x Bombardier CC-194V Galaxy Ambassador VIP transport aircraft
 * 12 x modernized TS-11 Iskra advanced trainer aircraft
 * 16 x PZL-130TC-II Orlik trainer aircraft
 * 3 x Diamond DA20 C-1 Eclipse trainer aircraft
 * 10 x Mil Mi-8 helicopters
 * 2 x PZL W-3 helicopters