Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Hawks have landed (F16s are here, in Poland) SEE LARGE PICTURE GALLERY
Radio Polonia ^ | 09.11.2006

Posted on 11/09/2006 11:12:41 AM PST by lizol

Edited on 11/09/2006 11:17:35 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]

The Hawks have landed 09.11.2006

Two more F-16 fighter jets arrived in Poland today from the 48 purchased for the Polish airforce from the USA. Two of the first jets flew in yesterday.

The aircraft were scheduled to arrive at the military airport near Poznań on Monday but first turned back to the States from over the Atlantic, then made an unplanned stopover in Iceland and Scotland. The Polish Defence Ministry has requested the manufacturer to disclose the reasons for the delay.

Today's official ceremony of handing over the F-16s to the Polish airforce saw the participation of Polish President Lech Kaczyński and the First Lady, christening the jets with the Polish code name “Jastrząb” (Hawk).


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: f16; poland; polishairforce
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-46 next last
F16s are here

09.11.2006

Poland has taken delivery of four F-16 fighter jets. They are the first batch of 48 aircraft purchased from Lockheed Martin in the US as part of a multi- billion dollar deal signed in 2002. There’s a sizeable offset deal attached to that, whereby the US has pledged to invest as much as 6 billion dollars here. The first F16 arrived in Poland with some delay.

A report by Bogdan Zaryn.

The deafening roar of a F16 jet fighter. That’s a sound Poland has been waiting for ever since it signed a deal valued at roughly 3.5 billion US dollars four years ago. This Polish pilot says that the planes are worth their weight in gold.

‘Taking off in such a plane is simply fantastic, an experience that I have never had before’

Though the four planes landed safely at the Krzesiny air force base in the West, Polish officials weren’t sure whether they would make it for official welcome home ceremonies. The planes had to turn around when they were over the Atlantic Ocean after technical problems were detected in one of them. A second attempt to fly the F-16’s to Poland failed too. Two planes were forced to land in Iceland while the other two flew on to Germany. Piotr Paszkowski from the Ministry of Defense says that despite a double take the planes are just the first consignment of aircraft.

‘This is the biggest purchase ever for the Polish armed forces. It is going to do a lot to upgrade the fighting capacity of the Polish Air Force. We are taking delivery of what is one of the most modern jet fighter planes currently being used, so we are thinking of the program as something of a locomotive, the driving engine for the whole process of modernizing the Polish armed forces.’

Artur Golawski from the defense magazine Polska Zbrojna thinks that the F-16s will change the mindset of many Polish pilots not to mention enabling Poland’s armed forces up to be NATO compatible.

‘This means mental, technical and even economic revolution for Polish armed forces. We have to change almost half of our army, starting from command systems, training for personnel. We have to improve our army and that’s a huge step modern organized Western army’.

But it isn’t all good news. The deal also includes a six billion dollar offset scheme, promised investments by Lockheed Martin and other US companies. So far they have been dragging their feet. An aircraft plant in Rzeszow where Pratt & Whitney produces engine parts for the F-16 has benefited from the offset package. Another plant in Krosno produces landing gear for every F16 made and the GM auto assembly plant in Gliwice also won lucrative contracts. But overall, Polish Deputy Minister for the Economy Pawel Poncyliusz isn’t to impressed.

‘Out of the six billion dollar pledges the Americans have promised, roughly three billion eight hundred thousand dollars has been spent so far.”

Political analyst Andrzej Krajewski, a former Polish Radio correspondent in the US, thinks that now is the perfect moment to bring up the pitfalls of the offset deal.

‘From the very beginning there were some serious doubts about the way it should be counted, whether earlier US investment should be counted. For us the question was if this would be additional investment or something which has already been planned and signed.. So I think that it’s a good time with the arrival of the F-16’s to have an account of the whole project and to say whether the deal was fulfilled or not’.

Another four F-16’s are expected to arrive in Poland by the end of the year. By 2008 Poland is expected to receive forty more jet fighters.

http://www.polskieradio.pl/polonia/article.asp?tId=44356&j=2
1 posted on 11/09/2006 11:12:43 AM PST by lizol
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: lizol











































2 posted on 11/09/2006 11:13:28 AM PST by lizol (Liberal - a man with his mind open ... at both ends)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lizol
Excellent. Poland's been a loyal ally and has become more geopolitically relevant than France.

-Eric

3 posted on 11/09/2006 11:15:01 AM PST by E Rocc (Myspace "Freepers" group moderator)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lizol

A powerful Polish military would be a good thing.


4 posted on 11/09/2006 11:17:28 AM PST by stinkerpot65
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lizol











5 posted on 11/09/2006 11:19:40 AM PST by lizol (Liberal - a man with his mind open ... at both ends)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: lizol

None too soon. Now that the Democrats control Congress, I fear this sort of thing is not going to happen as much. I hope I am wrong.


6 posted on 11/09/2006 11:20:53 AM PST by GOP_1900AD (Stomping on "PC," destroying the Left, and smoking out faux "conservatives" - Take Back The GOP!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: lizol; All











7 posted on 11/09/2006 11:28:19 AM PST by lizol (Liberal - a man with his mind open ... at both ends)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: E Rocc

What I wonder about is why they came to Poland with USAF insignia (take a look at pictures showing them from the right side).


8 posted on 11/09/2006 11:30:58 AM PST by lizol (Liberal - a man with his mind open ... at both ends)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: lizol

Because SU pilots are flying them and until they are handed over to Poland, they are still considered US military property.


9 posted on 11/09/2006 11:35:42 AM PST by Bommer (If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: lizol

Hmmm a Polish F-16... How come the Wings aren't on upside down? /hehehe just a botched joke


10 posted on 11/09/2006 11:36:01 AM PST by Echo Talon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Bommer

Make that US Pilots


11 posted on 11/09/2006 11:36:02 AM PST by Bommer (If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Bommer

Aha, thanks.


12 posted on 11/09/2006 11:38:54 AM PST by lizol (Liberal - a man with his mind open ... at both ends)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Bommer

I suppose so.

SU pilots had never flown F-16, they had MIGs :-)))


13 posted on 11/09/2006 11:40:22 AM PST by lizol (Liberal - a man with his mind open ... at both ends)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Echo Talon




"The Eagle reporting, the Eagle reporting!" :-)))
14 posted on 11/09/2006 11:42:46 AM PST by lizol (Liberal - a man with his mind open ... at both ends)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: lizol

Temporary--removed as seen in some photos (see #3 and others)


15 posted on 11/09/2006 11:43:02 AM PST by catpuppy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: lizol; All













16 posted on 11/09/2006 11:53:54 AM PST by lizol (Liberal - a man with his mind open ... at both ends)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: lizol

Cool pics, thanks for posting!

Poland has always been a good ally, (and I've still got family there too).


17 posted on 11/09/2006 11:56:24 AM PST by proud_yank (Socialism - An Answer In Search Of A Question For Over 100 Years)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lizol
Nope THIS is an Eagle


Strike Eagles Stay Sharp
F-15E Strike Eagles taxi at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, after a training sortie on Monday, June 5. The Strike Eagles are here through September as part of an air expeditionary deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Michael S. Dorus)

Image and Text from af.mil

18 posted on 11/09/2006 12:02:12 PM PST by Echo Talon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Echo Talon
Nope, this is the Eagle (Poland's coat of arms)


19 posted on 11/09/2006 12:08:13 PM PST by lizol (Liberal - a man with his mind open ... at both ends)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: lizol

Kinda looks like a chicken... (Sorry just another botched joke)
;)
20 posted on 11/09/2006 12:11:04 PM PST by Echo Talon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-46 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson