Kraków 2025-07-14
Leonardo M-346 Bielik.
In May 2017, the “Strategic Defense Review” report was published. This document outlined Poland’s defense strategy for the next 15 years. The report provided guidelines on threats and trends, against the background of current defense capabilities. The report outlined methods for conducting exercises and an alert system. The unclassified section contained general information on the main directions of change. The main body of the report remained classified. It is known that some countries are pushing for significant armaments, and Poland, given its budget, should respond by strengthening its own defense forces. Regarding the slogan so strongly suggested at the time: transferring the US command from the Federal Republic of Germany to Poland, this is an impossible situation. Remember that the US military in the Federal Republic of Germany is keeping an eye on the Germans to prevent them from starting World War III. The Federal Republic of Germany is an unstable society that has always tried to solve its problems by using aggression against others. Regarding the report, it became obsolete after Comrade Putin’s aggression against Ukraine (February 24, 2022). As a result, defense spending had to be significantly increased.
The Italian company Leonardo, manufacturer of M-346 Master trainer aircraft, whose acceptance by the Polish Air Force was delayed due to simulator problems, was set for July 2017. The simulator did not cover all the aspects specified in the contract. The first two aircraft arrived at the Dęblin base in mid-November 2016. However, the Polish Army never received the aircraft. The missiles in question included the AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-88 HARM, AGM-65G2 Maverick, AIM-9X Sidewinder, AIM-120C AMRAAM, AGM-154C JSOW glide pods, and GBU-12E/B Paveway II, GBU-38 JDAM, and GBU-31 JDAM guided bombs. All of these are or could be used by Polish F-16 multi-role aircraft. Contract penalties were assessed. A preliminary estimate of PLN 70 million was reached. The contract value was PLN 1.2 billion. Polish-Italian talks were held in Rome in March 2017.
The simulator is an integral part of the M-346. During airborne missions, it can simulate, for example, weapons or radar indications (the M-346 does not have such a device on board). The communication system also enables joint training between pilots using simulators on the ground and actually flying the aircraft – a training partner at the base can be not only a pilot of the M-346, but also an F-16 aircraft.
In 2018, ideas emerged to partially fill the void left by the Sukhoi Su-22 with M-346 combat trainer aircraft. Aermacchi proposed a combat trainer version, designated LCA, capable of limited airstrikes and dogfights. However, the cost-effectiveness ratio would be problematic. The price of the M-346 LCA was unknown, but considering the acquisition costs of trainer versions with reduced equipment, it could reach as much as $30 million per unit. This would put the cost not far from that of the F-16, which are, however, full-fledged combat aircraft with significantly greater capabilities.
In 2018, extending the service life and modernizing the MiG-29 made sense, but not for the Su-22. Therefore, it was crucial to seek opportunities to purchase platforms that could replace the old Su-22s. The most rational solution seemed to be to purchase additional F-16s – this time used – and modernize them. Countries such as the Netherlands and Belgium offered their F-16s. Romania, for example, took advantage of such offers.
At this time, Poland had no choice but to focus on making the most of its existing resources. Maintaining the appropriate training frequency, participation in international exercises, and, ideally, limited combat mission activity were crucial here, which is what the Polish F-16s deployed to Kuwait and, according to some reports, operating in Iraq were doing. Since 1945, Polish Air Force combat aircraft pilots have not had the opportunity to operate in real conflict. Even without conducting air raids or dogfights, simply honing cooperation with allies is invaluable. It is also crucial to swiftly finalize the purchase of equipment for air support controllers, which, at a relatively low cost, will significantly improve the effectiveness of Polish F-16s in conducting air raids and facilitate the use of support from real allies.
In 2018, it would also be worthwhile to invest in ammunition. The US is already producing significantly modernized AIM-120 D medium-range air-to-air missiles. Polish F-16s are equipped with the older C version. Purchasing new missiles would be inexpensive (compared to purchasing aircraft) and would increase the potential of existing forces. Furthermore, AIM-120 D missiles could be used by newer aircraft in the future, such as the Lockheed Martin F-35. Therefore, this purchase would certainly not be a wasted one. AARGM anti-radiation missiles, primarily used to attack enemy anti-aircraft systems, would also be a valuable reinforcement for the air force. The American company Orbital ATK has been trying to interest Wolski Polskie in this missile for several years, but to no avail.
Leonardo M-346 Bielik nb 7714 crash.
On July 12, 2024 (Friday), at approximately 1:00 PM, the M-346 Bielik aircraft crashed, killing the pilot instantly. The pilot did not attempt to eject. The tragedy occurred at the Gdynia Babie Doły airport during a training flight. The aircraft struck the airport’s landing area, crashed, and burned. Rescue operations were immediately initiated.
The Babie Doły airport is part of the 43rd Naval Aviation Base. Major Pilot Robert Jeł, flying the M-346 “Bielik” nb 7714, was conducting a training flight before a show on Saturday, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the 43rd Naval Aviation Base. The aircraft originated from the training aviation base in Dęblin. The Major was an instructor on the M-346 “Bielik” aircraft and trained academy cadets. He was a well-liked person, a good soldier, husband, and father. He had a daughter. Honor his memory! Major Robert Jeł was deputy squadron commander and flight instructor at the 41st Aviation Training Base in Dęblin. The M-346 nb 7714 aircraft had been in service since 2022. Major Robert Jeł was an experienced pilot and instructor. He had approximately 1,100 hours of flight time in the M-346 “Bielik” aircraft and 2,000 hours in jet aircraft. In the past, he also piloted the Cessna 172, PZL-130 Orlik, and PZL TS-11 Iskra. Before flying the M-346, he also trained in the USA on T-6 and T-38 Talon aircraft.
Because the training was an open demonstration, several people filmed the pilot training and the tragedy. The aircraft were grounded pending an investigation into the cause of the crash. Due to the crash, the Navy’s Aviation Day celebrations were canceled. M-346 “Bielik” aircraft have been in service since 2018, and cadet training began in 2019. By the time of the crash, 16 M-346 aircraft were in service. In 2023, the M-346 Demo Team was formed within the 41st Aviation Training Base. It made its first public appearance at the 2023 Radom Air Show. The M-346 aircraft returned to service on August 20, 2024. The cause of the crash was a pilot error. The aircraft lacked altitude while performing the final maneuver.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman