Kraków 1.08.2008
Polish Military Contingent Orlik in Lithuania.
Air Policing – Mission of PKW Orlik. 2006
In accordance with the signed agreement, the NATO pact undertook the air defense of the three Baltic countries; Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, which are unable to maintain fighter aviation on their own, and joined NATO on March 29, 2004. The mission has been carried out on a rotational basis since April 2, 2004, by the air forces of individual NATO countries. When will the mission end? Currently (2009) it is difficult to answer this question. Other security and defense systems in this region of Europe have not yet been developed.
From January 1, 2006 to March 31, 2006, the Republic of Poland took over responsibility for the air protection of the Baltic States, as part of its alliance obligations.
The legal basis for participation in the Air Policing mission – apart from allied obligations – is the decision of the President of the Republic of Poland of November 25, 2005, on the use of the Polish Military Contingent as part of the Allied Forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the military surveillance of the airspace of the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Lithuania and the Republic of Latvia, which entered into force on November 29, 2005.
The first Polish unit to be assigned to this difficult but honorable task was the 1st ELT Warszawa from Mińsk Mazowiecki. On Tuesday, December 27, 2005, at 9:00 a farewell ceremony was held at the Mińsk Mazowiecki Airport for the Polish Military Contingent (PKW) “Orlik”, going to Lithuania as part of the NATO “Air Policing” mission. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Ministry of National Defense, the Air Force Command, the administrative and local authorities of Mińsk Mazowiecki, the military chaplaincy and non-governmental associations.
A contingent was separated from the Polish Air Force (PKW Orlik), which included four MiG-29 aircraft and six pilots from the 1st Tactical Aviation Squadron from Mińsk Mazowiecki. The commander of PMC Orlik was Col. Pilot Robert Cierniak.
The PMC was subordinated to Combined Air Operations Center 2 (CAOC 2) in Kalkar (Germanic) as part of the allied (NATO) command system. In addition, specialists in aircraft maintenance, navigation, meteorology and communications were sent to the mission area – a total of 68 people, as well as specialist equipment for aircraft maintenance. The base for the planes was the airport in Zokniai near Siauliai (Siaulia). Combat duty was performed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by two MiG-29 aircraft simultaneously.
The mission costs of approximately PLN 16 million were borne by the Ministry of National Defense. The task of the air forces performing the Air Policing mission was to patrol and prevent violations of airspace and to provide assistance to military and civilian aircraft in emergency situations. Our unit has gained valuable experience in conducting operations in the new geopolitical situation.
PKW Orlik is the first mission of Polish combat aircraft outside the borders of the Republic of Poland since the end of World War II. Polish soldiers did a great job and brought pride to the Polish Wings.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman