Beginning of Polish F-16s duty

[Shaman]

I'm so sorry, my photos of these Vipers "in-air" and touchdowns were too bad (blurred) to be worth sharing :(

[59th_LeFty]

USAF or LM (if you mean Lockheed artin).

 

They took off today again... and had to landed on Island.

 

"Failures" - that's the official statement.

 

Man... I need to change my sig again :doh:

 

Why, oh why we didn't buy the Gripen....?

 

Don't worry buddy, we bought it, and had to take back some of them to the North, to fix some things. All new planes have diseases. But now they're working properly. So sad we haven't got those Litenings and GBUs yet:D

 

By the way... What sort of weapons/pods will Poland buy for the Vipers? I'm sure about the 120s, but what about the sidewinders? Which one?? And any A-G armament????

[Sundowner.pl]

-6 Goodrich DB-110 reconnaissance pods

-36 Pantera targeting pods (export version of Sniper XR)

-44 AN/ALQ-131/-184 ECM pods (nobody knows which)

-8 ACMI pods

-48 JHMCS

-20 NVG sets

-130 LAU-129 launchers (probably with ALE-50)

-384 AIM-120C-5/-7 AMRAAMs

-384 AIM-9M2/X Sidewinders

-816 AGM-65G Mavericks

-384 CBU-87 CEMs

-140 CBU-105s

-280 AGM-154C JSOWs

-215 Mk82 bombs

-920 Mk83 bombs

-232 Mk84 bombs

-215 GBU-22/-24 sets for Mk82 bombs

-232 GBU-32/-32 JDAM sets for Mk83/84

-232 GBU-10 sets for Mk84

-232 GBU-16 sets for Mk83

[Pilotasso]

Arent those numbers usualy classified?

[nscode]

Usually what you get along with the planes is a bit more transparent (to please the people who are spending money on them), but weapon purchases afterwards are classified. That doesn't mean that the numbers made public are correct.

[Force_Feedback]

cool, you even get the aim-9x, and the jhmcs, awesome, let the Russian invasion come! And Jdam kits, and c7 aim-120s. That's some serious armament.

[Sundowner.pl]

Well that's what Lockheed Martin included with the planes, the main ordnance deal should come when our F-16s squadrons go operational :pilotfly:

 

Hope some HARMs, AIM-120Ds, SDBs, JASSMs and JSOW-As will be bought.

[Shaman]

I think this photo is worth linkin'

 

"The end of an era"

 

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1136415/L/

 

"The very first two Polish Air Force F-16's intercepted by the MiG-29 before their first landing on the Polish soil. Polish insignia was covered because of the international rules."

[VMFA117_Poko]

Beauty! Thanks for pics and link shaman.

[Ukr_Alex]

 

" Polish insignia was covered because of the international rules."

 

Anyone know what this convention is? Or what it means and why?

[nscode]

I think that it means that Poland would need to ask for all sorts of approvals to fly thru other countries, while US can already fly anywhere they want (with few exceptions hehe) and nobody is even going to complain if they test some of those Mks along the way

[Sundowner.pl]

Not really, those planes are still property of Lockheed Martin company, not Polish Air Force, and were flown by American pilots, that's why they couldn't fly with our check board.

 

See first pictures of Israeli F-16A/B, or Iranian F-14s, those were also delivered by US Pilots so they had US markings.

[Ukr_Alex]

Well I'm just hoping Ukraine and Poland have some joint Air Force exercises :) I mean they already do on the ground, now a F16/Mig29/Su27 exercise would be cool to see some pictures of :)

[Vekkinho]

Polish Air Force commanders were waiting today in Krzesiny AFB (Poland) for pair of new f-16... and they haven't come :lol:. The refueling system defected in both over the Atlantic Ocean and they must turn back. Good start of duty beginning :).

 

They took off today again... and had to landed on Island.

 

"Failures" - that's the official statement.

 

Nice aircraft indeed! You guys should stick to your Fishbeds! Did Poland buy new ones or used ones?! Either way too much dengo for those crappy Vipers!

 

Croatia is evaluating F-16 and Gripen and now I seriously hope we'll buy Gripens!

[VMFA117_Poko]

Well I'm just hoping Ukraine and Poland have some joint Air Force exercises :) I mean they already do on the ground, now a F16/Mig29/Su27 exercise would be cool to see some pictures of :)

F16 and MiG29 best m8s :megalol:

[Sundowner.pl]

Ukr_Alex, that kind of exercise would be a blast :thumbup:

 

but it won't happen before 2009, we need at least one operation squadron for that ;)

 

 

Vekkinho, those airplanes are brand new, and good luck sending any fighter for 10 hours long flight over the "pond" and expect no malfunction on the way. Our Vipers had malfunctions of secondary systems, not crucial to flight safety... nor combat ability. Ask those Chech folks about they're Gripen, and you will hear there was some serious stuff INOP.

[Ukr_Alex]

Ukr_Alex, that kind of exercise would be a blast :thumbup:

 

but it won't happen before 2009, we need at least one operation squadron for that ;)

 

Even then it would be great, because by 2008(9) Ukraine should finish the upgrade of its Migs :)

[VMFA117_Poko]

Even then it would be great, because by 2008(9) Ukraine should finish the upgrade of its Migs :)

Really? You mean 29? To which version they upgrading?

[Ukr_Alex]

Really? You mean 29? To which version they upgrading?

 

Well I dont think it's any version that we know off since it will be a primarily ukrainian job with the russians taking some part in it. And yes the 29, there are no more 23s or 27s. Those were replaced with 29s and Su-24s.

 

Ukraine has missle and radar technologies of their own to stick into the mig, I guess the new powerplants will most likely come from Russia.

[VMFA117_Poko]

Well I dont think it's any version that we know off since it will be a primarily ukrainian job with the russians taking some part in it. And yes the 29, there are no more 23s or 27s. Those were replaced with 29s and Su-24s.

 

Ukraine has missle and radar technologies of their own to stick into the mig, I guess the new powerplants will most likely come from Russia.

Oh yeah. Mig's radar needs upgrading definitely. These means all A and C ver. waiting for update?

[Ukr_Alex]

Oh yeah. Mig's radar needs upgrading definitely. These means all A and C ver. waiting for update?

 

The A's have been written off long time ago. Besides Ukraine was left with primarly 9-13s, A's were only a small %.

 

They want to keep 74 in service, and 90% of them will be upgraded in L'viv. Not sure about the other 10%.

[nscode]

Maybe it's that 90% of the upgrade will be done at home.. not 90% of the number :hehe:

[Ukr_Alex]

Uh, of the 74 that will be left in service 90% will be upgraded. Common sense tells that the other 10% are UBs which is about 8 borts.

[Force_Feedback]

Any details or weblinks on the upgrade (all languages are fine)? 74, wow, I thought they had like 300 or so, guess the state of their AF is pretty bad then.

[Ukr_Alex]

Any details or weblinks on the upgrade (all languages are fine)? 74, wow, I thought they had like 300 or so, guess the state of their AF is pretty bad then.

 

http://www.mil.gov.ua/index.php?lang=ua&part=news&sub=read&id=8589

 

Bad? I wouldnt say so. New An-70s on order, pilots in the air all the time, now upgrades.

 

74 Migs + the Su-27s, more the enough for a country of 46 million withouht any global aspirations.

 

Or maybe Im missing something in what you are trying to say?

 

They have 300 sure, but having 300 in service is stupid if you ask me.

 

 

Officialy as of 2005 they have 225 combat aircraft, 80 transports and 50 trainers. Divide that up into Su-24s, Su-25s, Su-27s andMig-29s. So the Migs still today are about 80 borts of the combat force. This is excluding helicopters, as they are part of Army Aviation not the Air Force.