The soldiers of the Dutch air contingent, which is stationed in Poland as part of the NATO safety Assistance and Training mission for Ukraine, were awarded the silver and bronze Medals of the Polish Army, informed the Operations Command. The Dutch will shortly give way to Norwegians, who will increase the contingent in Poland and take over the task of supporting airspace.
The Medal of the Polish Army is suitable as an expression of appreciation for those who are peculiarly well-deserved for the defence and safety of the Republic of Poland, including the allied forces stationed in our country. The soldiers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands received the distinctions granted by the Minister of National Defence at the hands of General Dyw. Pil. Ireneusz Starzyński, who was late appointed as First Deputy Commander of Operations of the RSZ.
As DORSZ emphasizes, the award of the contingent is simply a thank-you for the support and protection of Polish airspace and strengthening the safety of the east flank of NATO. The Dutch airmen have been strengthening common defence capabilities for months The Alliance, actively participating in air missions and co-creating a safety shield over Europe. The Dutch F-35 stationed in Poland were involved, among others, in the demolition operation Russian drones that flew into Polish airspace in September.
Prime Minister Jacek Goryszewski, spokesperson for Operations Command, confirmed that the pilots from the Kingdom of the Netherlands will shortly complete their mission in our country. Their place will be taken by the Norwegians, who will join their countrymen already stationed on the Vistula River. The first Norwegian F-35 fighters landed in Krzesiny base 3 weeks ago and began patrols in the Polish sky with Dutch crews. “At the end of the period there will be another F-35 from Norway, and Norwegians will take over a large part of the tasks together with Polish pilots”, said defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz in the beginning of October.
Although Dutch airmen leave Poland, We'll have another Dutch contingent soon.. defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans announced that his country would send us 2 Patriot systems, NASAMS anti-aircraft defence systems and about 300 soldiers. As of December, they will defender the routes that supply the fighting Ukraine. It is primarily about securing the Natov logistics hub at the airport in Rzeszów-Jasionka.
