Poland welcomes first F-16s in shift from Soviet-equipped to force tied to West

Poland formally welcomed the first F-16 fighter jets into its air force Thursday, a key step in the transition of the ex-communist country's creaky Soviet-equipped military to an advanced force integrated with the West.

An air force brass band played as two of the American-made jets touched down at the Poznan-Krzesiny air base in the west of the country during a ceremony attended by President Lech Kaczynski and military leaders.

The pair joined two other new F-16s that landed at the base a day earlier.

Poland, now a NATO member, will phase out many of its older Soviet-built MiG fighters as it gradually adds a total of 48 new F-16s, assembled in Fort Worth, to its combat fleet over the next two years.

"The F-16 is a modern fighter jet, but also a proven one," Kaczynski said on the wind-swept tarmac as a color guard, Polish generals and U.S. Ambassador Victor Ashe looked on. "The F-16 is a plane produced by our ally — in other words, it fulfills the conditions to serve our military."

Defense Minister Radek Sikorski said it was a "momentous occasion" for the country's air force.

Three military clergymen — one each for the Roman Catholic, Orthodox Christian and Protestant faiths — blessed one of the four planes before red and white balloons, matching Poland's national colors, were released into the air.

The move will dramatically transform a lumbering force based on decades-old Soviet jets to one fully able to take part in far-flung NATO and U.S.-led operations.

Having F-16s will also bring a range of demands that will stimulate modernization — including advanced pilot training, refitting air bases and adding a range of modern equipment needed to support the fleet.

"It's a very big cultural shift for the air force," said Brig. Gen. Leszek Soczewica, an aide to the defense minister.

Poland ordered the jets from U.S. producer Lockheed Martin Corp. in a push to bring its military up to NATO standards. Poland joined the alliance in 1999.

The deal further enhanced the already strong ties between the United States and Poland, a staunch U.S. ally with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Defense experts say that choosing American over European-made warplanes will make the Polish forces more compatible with the U.S. and NATO, though it will still be three years before the Polish air force will have enough jets and pilot training to operate in such distant conflicts.

A beefed-up force will also bring new demands, with allies expected to seek more Polish aid in future military crises, observers say.

The F-16s "will give extraordinary power to the air force," said Grzegorz Holdanowicz, a military analyst and editor of the monthly defense magazine Raport.

"But it will be a challenge for us to fulfill those expectations because we will need to provide enough resources and train pilots to use the aircraft effectively as real tools in international defense policy," Holdanowicz said. "And not just use them as a wonderful background for state ceremonies."
Source:usatoday.com