In August, the first “Polish” fighter F-35 will emergence into the air. True, in the American sky, a Pole will sit behind him. The information was provided by Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, who stayed at the 33rd Transport Air Base on Wednesday. “Just as the F-16 changed the face of Polish air force, so the F-35 changed the face of Polish armed forces,” he said.
The US Army Europe Air Force Command-organized exercise "Astral Knight'24" began on 6 May. Since then, 5 1000 soldiers have been working in Poland and the Baltic States under American command not only from the United States and Poland, but besides from Lithuania and large Britain. They were met on Wednesday by Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamish. “Security, the national community, cooperation within the North Atlantic Alliance is simply a key issue,” said the head of the MON at the 33rd Transport Aviation Base in Powidz. He pointed out that now "Polish-American Soyusz is the strongest in its history". "There is no NATO without the United States, and there is no power of the United States, as a planet power, without NATO," he noted.
The head of the MON reported that 50 aircraft were active in the exercise, including F-15, F-16, and F-35, which will shortly besides power the Polish Army. “Just as the F-16 changed the face of the Polish air force, so the F-35 changed the face of the Polish armed forces,” he said. He informed that in August the first “Polish” F-35 would emergence into the air. However, this will not happen in Poland, and in the United States, due to the fact that this is where, after the first F-35 received by the Polish Army, the pilot training process will continue.
Film: Dominika Celinska, Magda Miernicka / ArmouredTV
Deputy Prime Minister Kosiniak-Kamish besides pointed out another crucial aspect of the exercise, namely the integration of anti-aircraft and rocket defence systems. As he said, this area is simply a challenge for Europe today, so countries should exchange experiences and capabilities in this area. He besides recalled that Poland has purchased an IBCS strategy in the United States, which allows to command anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense, thus becoming its second after US user.
Gen. div. Pil. Ireneusz Starzyński, commander of the Air Operations Centre - Air Component Command in an interview with journalists said that Poland directed large forces to participate in training. – Tactical bases, Air Operations Center, command and guidance centres are practicing, and fundamentally all types of our aircraft are flying into the air, starting with MiG 29, through helicopters, to the latest FA-50 ending," he said. This last plane has been on work since 2023. These planes have done just fine. The pilots are already at specified a level of training that they can carry out all the tasks," said the general.
Meanwhile, General Dan Nelson of the United States Air Force Command in Europe and Africa explained that the aim of the exercise "Astral Knight 24" is primarily to integrate air and rocket defence systems and build command and control architecture. “We have learned quite a few things and we are inactive learning everything we request to be in this place where we want to be interoperable, working with our allies and partners,” she said. erstwhile asked about the top challenges that soldiers face during the exercise, she replied that this is the integration of communication systems.
33 The base was besides visited present by Mark Brzezinski, the United States Ambassador to Poland, who assured about the strength of the alliance of both countries. – Together with our allies and friends in Poland, we prove that NATO is stronger than ever, that NATO is bigger, stronger and united than always before. We are ready and able to defend all inch of NATO's territory, including Poland," he said in Powidz.
