Helicopters of the Polish Army - present and uncertain future

PZL-Świdnik SA has also upgraded eight W-3s belonging to BLMW, which will therefore carry out SAR missions in the coming years, supporting four AW101s.

This year, the long-announced modernization and renewal of the helicopter fleet of the Polish Armed Forces began. However, it should be clearly understood that this will be a long and costly journey.

The Polish Armed Forces operate about 230 helicopters of eight types, the consumption of which is estimated at 70% of available resources. Most of them represent the PZL-Świdnik W-3 Sokół family (68 units), the deliveries of which began in the late 80s. Currently, part of the W-3 has been thoroughly upgraded in order to increase operational capabilities (eight rescue W-3WA / WARM Anakonda and the same number of W-3PL Głuszec). It is known that this is not the end.

Over the ground…

On August 12, the Armaments Inspectorate of the Ministry of National Defense announced the start of negotiations on the modernization of a batch of W-3 Sokół multi-purpose transport helicopters, which should be carried out by PZL-Świdnik SA. The contract, signed on August 7, with a potential value of PLN 88 million net, is to upgrade four W-3 Sokół helicopters and equip them with SAR functions in accordance with the modernization specifications. In addition, the plant in Svidnik, owned by the Italian concern Leonardo, must provide a logistics package

and operational documentation of modernized helicopters. Negotiations were held only with the selected bidder, since only PZL-Świdnik SA has (on an exclusive basis) production documentation for the W-3 family of helicopters.

Where the upgraded Falcons are headed, the customer has not yet reported. Most likely, their users will be squadrons of search and rescue formations. It is possible that the car will end up in the 3rd search and rescue group stationed in Krakow, which currently operates Mi-8 helicopters. This may be due to the exhaustion of resources and the lack of prospects for buying their successors.

In addition, technical dialogue has already been completed at IU regarding the planned upgrade of the W-3 batch to the W-3WA WPW (combat support) version. According to part of the declaration, a project with about 30 vehicles could cost $1,5 billion and last up to six years. In addition, the military is seeking the reconstruction and modernization of additional W-3PL Głuszec, which would replace the lost vehicle destroyed in 2017.

during exercises in Italy. The upgraded rotorcraft will become an important support element for specialized attack helicopters. Currently, the Polish Armed Forces have 28 Mi-24D / W, which are deployed at two air bases - the 49th in Pruszcz Gdanski and the 56th in Inowroclaw.

The best years of the Mi-24 are behind them, and intensive operation in combat conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan has left its mark on them. The successor to the Mi-24 was to be chosen by the Kruk program, which is now in a vacuum - according to Deputy Minister of National Defense Wojciech Skurkiewicz, the first helicopters of the new type will appear in units after 2022, but there is no indication that the corresponding procurement procedure will begin . Interestingly, already in 2017, the US Department of Defense and Lockheed Martin Corporation signed an agreement on the production of surveillance, aiming and guidance systems for combat helicopters AH-64E Guardian M-TADS / PNVS, which included an option for the production of this system for vehicles intended for Poland. Since then, the contract has not been renewed. However, this shows that Boeing products remain the top favorite to replace currently owned helicopters in this class. In order to preserve (at least partially) the operational potential, the modernization of the Mi-24 parts became a priority - a technical dialogue on this issue was scheduled for July-September of this year, and 15 interested parties approached him, from among whom IU had to choose those who had the best recommendations. Decisions on the program may affect the future of Kruk because it is difficult to imagine the possible integration of American-made helicopters with European or Israeli missiles (although technically this would not be a precedent) on a Polish order with budgetary restrictions caused by the purchase of the first two Wisła system batteries (not speaking of the next ones planned). Before modernization, the machines are subject to a major overhaul, which in the coming years will be the responsibility of Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze nr 1 SA in Łódź. The contract for the amount of PLN 73,3 million net was signed on February 26 this year.