Poland MiG-29
Poland could give Ukraine MiG-29 fighter jets in the coming four to six weeks, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on 14 March 2023, suggesting that Kyiv's allies were moving closer to an agreement on the next step in their military support for the country. Poland had said it would be prepared to send Soviet-designed MiG-29 jets to Ukraine as part of a coalition of countries. However, with Kyiv's allies taking a cautious approach to the transfer of fighter jets it has been unclear how long such a process might take.
Poland will provide Ukraine with 28 [some sources report 23] MiG-29 planes and one hundred R-73 short-range air-to-air missiles, which are the armament of these machines. After consultations with the President and the Polish government, the authorities of the Republic of Poland are ready to move their MIG-29 planes to the base in Ramstein and put them at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on 08 March 2022. The Polish government also asked other NATO countries - also owners of MIG-29 planes - to act in a similar way.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the position is the result of consultations between the Polish government and the President of the Republic of Poland. Poland is ready to give all its MiG-29 fighters to the Americans - for free and at any time. The planes will be redeployed to the base in Ramstein, Germany. Everything indicates that from there, after appropriate adaptation, they could be transferred to the Ukrainian Air Force under international decisions.
In return, Poland would like to receive second-hand aircraft with similar operational capabilities from the Americans. "Poland is ready to immediately determine the conditions for the purchase of these machines," reads the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At the same time, the Polish government asked other NATO countries that have MiG-29 aircraft to take a similar step.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized that his country was considering sending planes to Poland (earlier, information about F-16 fighters appeared in this context), if it decides to transfer some of its machines to Ukraine. This morning, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace, in an interview with Sky News, assured that if Poland takes such a step, it can count on the support of Great Britain. The representatives of the Polish authorities finally decided to make the US government the administrator of the machines.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would consider the delivery of MIGs to Ukraine a direct interference in the conflict, implying this would justify retaliation. This, in turn, could trigger NATO's self-defense clause and lead to all-out war with Russia. The question as to who might deliver fighter jets to Ukraine and how was therefore highly fraught. Decision-makers in the US, Poland, Brussels and Germany have openly commented on and issued surprisingly contradictory statements regarding the suggested jet transfer.
US President Joe Biden vetoed Poland's proposal to send Polish MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine in order to avoid provoking Russia to directly confront NATO. The US decision to deny Polish MiG-29 jets to Ukraine came directly from Biden. The United States has provided Ukraine with other weapons and assistance such as anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons. Biden said the United States would defend the territory of NATO member states against an attack from Russia but that delivering the NATO-member's fighter jest to Ukraine could lead to World War III.
Victoria Nuland, the No. 3 official at the State Department, told a Senate committee that Poland's announcement came as a "surprise" to her: "To my knowledge, it wasn't pre-consulted with us that they planned to give these planes to us." Nuland told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: "I will continue to convey the very strong bipartisan view of this committee that these planes need to get to Ukraine."
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on 06 March 2022 that the United States is considering sending planes to Poland if Warsaw decides to hand over fighters to Ukraine. Representatives of the Polish authorities assure that no decision has been taken in this matter, and that decisions in this matter should be made within NATO.
Russia warned Ukraine's neighbors against hosting Kiev's military aircraft, saying this could amount to their involvement in the conflict between Russia and the ex-Soviet republic. "We know for sure that Ukrainian combat aircraft have flown to Romania and other neighboring countries," defense ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a video briefing on 06 March 2022. "The use of the airfield network of these countries for basing Ukrainian military aviation with the subsequent use of force against Russia's army can be regarded as the involvement of these states in an armed conflict," he added.
The authorities of the Republic of Poland, after consultations with the President and the Government of the Republic of Poland, are ready to immediately transfer all their MIG-29 planes free of charge to the base in Ramstein and place them at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America. At the same time, Poland is asking the United States of America to provide it with used aircraft with similar operational capabilities. Poland is ready to immediately agree on the terms of purchase of these machines.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters “There are a number of challenging practical questions, including how the planes would actually be transferred from Poland to Ukraine, right? So, are they going to fly? Where will they depart from? Where will they land? Those are all very important questions here,” she said, adding: “Procuring new planes and transferring serious weapon systems often take years to do from the United States.”
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez, D-N.J., said he would “support efforts in the Senate to ... compensate our allies that provide their aircraft for Ukraine’s defense.... I understand this is not an easy decision for these countries to make. Asking them to provide their own aircraft, especially as Russia’s military aggression edges closer to their own borders, would be unthinkable except in the direst circumstances. Unfortunately, that is the situation the world faces. Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures and sacrifices.”
The Soviet-era aircraft being divested include platforms that the Ukrainian Air Force has experience flying and maintaining. Transferring those aircraft to the Ukrainian Air Force would replenish their fleet with familiar technologies they can use to continue contesting the airspace over Ukraine and safeguarding civilian populations.
At the end of February 2022, the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, announced that EU foreign ministers agreed to send EUR 450 million in military aid to Ukraine for offensive weapons. Borrell said the EU military aid package could include the supply of fighters to the Ukrainian air force. The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, asked for the planes. These are post-Soviet models, mainly MiG and Sukhoi. There are countries in the EU that have such machines (including Poland) and are able to deliver them - said Borrell.
The statement sparked a wave of reaction. "We do not send our planes, because this would mean military interference in the conflict that is taking place in Ukraine, and thus NATO joining the conflict" said Polish President Andrzej Duda on 01 March 2022.
Jakub Kumoch, secretary of state in the President's Chancellery, head of the International Policy Bureau, said "Poland and all other governments are primarily responsible for the security of their own citizens. It is very easy for a politician from a distant country to say that Poland should give a large part of its air force to the fighting Ukraine, it costs nothing, while Poland must in such situations - and every other NATO country - make decisions together with its allies"
The Ukrainian army informed which planes will be handed over to it by several European countries, including Poland. In total, our neighbor will receive more than 70 MiG-29 and Su-25 fighters and attack aircraft. "70 planes for the Ukrainian army! Our partners give us MiG-29 and Su-25, which, if necessary, will be able to station at Polish airports, from which Ukrainian pilots will carry out combat missions. Bulgaria (Mig-29) - 16 pcs., Bulgaria (Su-25) - 14, Poland (Mig-29) - 28, Slovakia (Mig-29) - 12, "the Ukrainian Air Force reads on Twitter.
Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby stated on 08 March 2022 " Poland's proposal shows just some of the complexities this issue presents. The prospect of fighter jets "at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America" departing from a U.S./NATO base in Germany to fly into airspace that is contested with Russia over Ukraine raises serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance. It is simply not clear to us that there is a substantive rationale for it. We will continue to consult with Poland and our other NATO allies about this issue and the difficult logistical challenges it presents, but we do not believe Poland's proposal is a tenable one."
Poland received its first seven MiG-29s in the summer of 1989. They were issued to the 1st Squadron of the ‘Warsaw’ Fighter Wing in the town of Minsk Mazowiecki. Five more aircraft were purchased in October 1990, along with three MiG-29 UBs. In December 1995 the 1st PLM received ten MiG-29s from Czech Republic (including one MiG-29 UB), in exchange for the “Sokol” (‘Falcon’) helicopters.
On 22nd February 1999, eight modernized MiG-29s of 1st PLM were declared ready for co-operation with the NATO’s Rapid Deployment Forces. Those aircraft were upgraded with the SC-10 IFF (identification, friend or foe) system (the standard NATO’s Mark XII system), anti-collision strobe light system, new digital R-862 radio station control panel (which enables the pilot to take readings of operating frequency and to change frequency of the given channel during the flight), as well as the AP Trimble 2101 Plus GPS systems (providing the satellite navigation).
Further 23 MiG-29s (consisting 4 ver. UB) reached Poland on the basis of the Polish-German agreement. After Germany had been reunited the MiG-29s were taken over by the Bundesluftwaffe, as the first type of Soviet aircraft operated by a NATO member country. The German MiG-29s were operated by the JG 73 Steinhoff at Laage. In 2002 the Germans decided to retire the MiG-29s. They were sold to Poland for a token sum of 1 euro. After necessary overhauls they were assigned to the 41st Tactical Air Squadron at Malbork. On 23rd September 2003, at the Luftwaffe base in Laage by Rostock, the first former German MiG-29s were taken over by the Polish Air Force. They landed in Poland on 30th September 2003. Four more aircraft were brought from Germany on 11th December 2003, followed by another four on 14th April 2004. The last nine German MiG-29s were received by Poland on 4th August 2004. After a major overhaul in the WZL-2 – Wojskowe Zaklady Lotnicze (Military Aircraft Works) No. 2 – in Bydgoszcz, the aircraft were assigned to the 41st Tactical Air Support Squadron in Malbork. Generally, Polish Air Force had 45 of the MiG-29.
The MiG-29 is a single-seat, twin-engined, supersonic, air superiority fighter aircraft, of metal, and partially composite, construction. The fuselage is of semi-monococque construction of variable cross-section. The MiG-29 is a high-wing monoplane with twin tailfins. The aft section of its fuselage house two RD-33 afterburning turbofan engines. The landing gear is the retractable tricycle type.
The MiG-29 is designed to seek and destroy aerial targets in all-weather conditions. The aircraft is equipped with an optical-electronic targeting/navigation system, featuring the N-019 ‘Rubin’ pulse Doppler radar. For aerial target detection the aircraft is fitted with KOLS-29 infrared search/track sensor (search range up to 18 km) and laser range finder (search range up to 6,5 km). When visual contact with a target is acquired, the pilot can take advantage of the NSC Shchel-3UM helmet-mounted sighting and target designator, coupled with the NVU-2M targeting sight.
For self-defence, MiG-29 uses SPO-15 ‘Beryoza’ radar warning receiver, with sensors on wingroot extensions, port fin and wingtips, as well as the passive countermeasures system featuring BVP-30-26 chaff/flare dispensers, built into the upper surfaces of the main wing. The pilot is additionally supported by the ‘Natasha’ voice information reporting system. The communication is maintained via the VHF/UHF R-862 type radio.
The MiG-29 is armed with GSh-30-1 type 30 mm cannon in port wingroot leading-edge extension, with 150 rounds. It also features six pylons for external stores, which can carry guided and unguided rocket missiles, 50-500 kg bombs, napalm tanks and KMGU-2 submunitions dispensers.
The MiG-29’s prototype was first flown in 1977 and the design entered mass production in 1982. The first Russian fighter unit was issued MiG-29s in August 1983. In the years to follow, the construction was successively upgraded, notably in case of onboard electronics. In April 1981, a two-seat trainer version took to the air, designated MiG-29 UB.
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