recent odc activities 2008 

More F-16s Land in Poland

21 February 2008 

On 17 February 2008, four more F-16 multi-role fighters landed at Krzesiny Air Base, outside of Poznan.  These aircraft are intended for fielding with the 10th Tactical Air Squadron at Lask Air Base, outside of Lodz.  Lieutenant Colonel Dariusz Malinowski, the commander of the 10th Tactical Air Squadron, piloted one of these aircraft accross the Atlandic.  He is the second Polish pilot to have conducted an F-16 trans-Atlantic ferrying operation.  Currently, 37 F-16C/D fighters are based at Krzesiny Air Base. Five of these are destined for the 32nd Air Base, at Lask.  They will be dispatched there after preparations of the base are completed in mid-2008.  

Poland purchased 48 Block 52-level F-16s, along with precision-guided munitions, pilot and mechanic training, simulators and several years of support.  The F-16 program has served as a catalyst for transformation of the Polish Air Force.  Relations between the Polish and U.S. Air Forces have grown ever closer as U.S. and Polish air-force commanders, pilots, and technicians continue to visit each other's bases and facilities in connection with the F-16 program.  U.S. Air Force F-16 Instructor Pilots, assigned to the Office of Defense Cooperation and working at Krzesiny Air Base, are assisting in the complex training of Polish Air Force pilots who have undergone initial instruction at U.S. bases.