Mińsk Mazowiecki 2024-12-06
Mińsk Mazowiecki Air Show.
On June 8, 2024, at the airport in Janów, near Mińsk Mazowiecki, the Air Picnic took place. The event was held as part of the celebration of the 23rd Tactical Air Base named after Lieutenant Colonel Pilot Jan Zumbach. The picnic lasted from 9:00 to 15:00. The weather was great, and the turnout exceeded expectations. The main reason for such a high turnout was the short distance from Warsaw and the desire of aviation enthusiasts to return to air shows after the long pandemic of the Chinese virus. Another reason was the desire to see the newest acquisition of the Polish Military Aviation, the KAI FA-50 aircraft, which is manufactured in South Korea.
But there were many more interesting aircraft on display. There was an American MQ-9A Reaper MALE-class combat drone. In 2022, the Polish Armed Forces signed an agreement to lease the MQ-9A Reaper unmanned reconnaissance system to the Polish Army. This information was provided by Deputy Prime Minister Mariusz Błaszczak. At the same time, he noted that this was a temporary solution until Poland had its own reconnaissance and strike drone system. The drone weighs 2,223 kg. Maximum weight 4,760 kg. Fuel capacity 1,800 kg. Weapons payload 360 kg in the fuselage and 1,400 kg on the external nodes. The drive is a Honeywell TPE-331-10 turboprop engine with a power of 671 kW (900 hp). Wingspan 20.00 m. Maximum speed 482 km/h. Cruising speed 313 km/h. Range 1,900 km. Ceiling 15,000 m. Flight time 27 hours.
The MQ-9A Reaper reconnaissance and strike drones are, according to many experts, a symbol of the technological superiority of the American Army, and owe their fame to their great effectiveness during the Iraq War and the mission in Afghanistan. The aircraft was developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. Due to its range, it is classified as MALE – Medium Altitude Long Endurance, i.e. medium altitude with a long flight distance. The aircraft carries not only classic bombs, but also guided missiles, such as the anti-tank AGM-114 Hellfire or Brimstone. Poland paid $70.6 million for the lease of the MQ-9 Reaper drone set (the number of aircraft in this set has not been disclosed). The lease will end when the Polish Army buys drones of this type. In addition to the US Armed Forces, the French, Spanish, Dutch, British and Italian armies also use the MQ-9A Reaper. The exhibition also featured a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. These helicopters are built in Poland at a factory in Mielec.
Agreement to purchase weapons for the Polish Army. KAI FA-50 aircraft.
On February 24, 2022, Europe experienced a momentary shock. The bandit Putin attacked Ukraine. The shock lasted only two to three weeks, because for our Western neighbors the most important thing was that Putin would not shut off their tap and that they would continue to trade with the barbarians. The war turned into a multi-year conflict, with all the worst features of war; genocide, rape, theft and total destruction. This war proved that in the 21st century, all peace agreements can be thrown into the trash, and the “Coronavirus” pandemic caused by the Chinese suddenly became irrelevant.W dniu 27 lipca 2022 roku (środa), wicepremier, minister obrony narodowej Mariusz Błaszczak zatwierdził umowy na południowokoreańskie uzbrojenie dla Wojska Polskiego. Polska zamówiła: lekkie myśliwce FA-50, czołgi typu K2 i samobieżne armato-haubice typu K9.
Poland will buy 48 FA-50 light fighters from Korea, the first 12 of which were delivered to Poland in 2024. The aircraft will be configured in accordance with the requirements of the Polish Air Force and equipped with the NATO IFF identification friend-foe system.
As the spokesman for the Armament Agency, Lieutenant Colonel Krzysztof Płatek, said, the choice of this aircraft was determined “primarily by its availability and the fact that they can quickly replace aging post-Soviet technology, i.e. Sukhoi Su-22, Mikoyan and Gurevich MiG-29 aircraft”, and in the target configuration with guided missiles and a new radar, they will complement Lockheed Martin F-16 Jastrząb fighters.
As early as 2010, the Polish Army considered the possibility of purchasing KAI T-50 Golden Eagle aircraft to replace the PZL TS-11 Iskra trainers. But at that time, the inept government in Poland (the Civic Platform and the Polish People’s Party; communists, freemasons and Volksdeutsche) created a fictional competition, after which only shame remained. They were not even able to determine the final WTT that the aircraft was to meet. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 is a multi-role aircraft that can be used for advanced training and as a combat machine, armed with guided and unguided bombs, air-to-air missiles and barrel armament. It was designed by Korea Aerospace Industries in cooperation with Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of F-16 and F-35 aircraft. In the training version, its maximum speed is Mach 1.5, ceiling 16,800 meters. Wingspan 9.45 m. Length 13.14 m. Height 4.81 m. Empty weight 6,470 kg. Range 1,850 km. Crew of two pilots. The aircraft is powered by the General Electric F404 engine, which is used in Boeing FA-18 Super Hornet aircraft, among others. Poland is the first European country to introduce FA-50 aircraft into service. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) President Hyunho Ahn said that 48 FA-50 aircraft is KAI’s largest single export order. KAI is counting on long-term cooperation with Poland and our armaments plants. The first FA-50 PH aircraft were purchased by the Philippines. Let us also remember that KAI is currently working on a multi-role aircraft designated Next Generation Fighter KF-21, which resembles a scaled-down F-22 Raptor aircraft.
Opracował Karol Placha Hetman