Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1528235
packages. The entire procurement was categorized as an urgent operational requirement. Although the full implementation of the contract is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, the aircraft arrived to Poland in 2024 r – the first on March 6 and the second on June 10. This marks the beginning of new domestic operational capabilities for the entire Polish Armed Forces. The quick delivery process was possible due to the fact that these were used aircraft. Both were originally ordered for the Swedish Air Force, but geopolitical changes led to their withdrawal from service in the early 2000s, and they were sent to Saab's facility in Linköping for deep storage. In 2010-2011, they were delivered to a new user – the United Arab Emirates Air Force – where they were part of the development of the national early warning and control aircraft component (which will eventually consist of five Saab GlobalEye aircraft). With the delivery of the final solution, at the end of Until July 2023, the Polish Armed Forces relied on two key sources for gathering information on airspace situation: radar stations equipped with long-range radar systems such as the PIT-Radwar S.A. NUR-12M and Leonardo RAT-31DL, supplemented by mobile medium range stations. The second component was Poland's participation in the NATO Airborne Warning Control System (AWACS) squadron, which operates modernized Boeing E-3 Sentry. However, the months of warfare in Ukraine and the growing number of incidents involving the violation of Polish airspace (including the well-known cases in Przewodów and Zamość near Bydgoszcz) revealed that this system was neither airtight nor efficient. In July 2023, the Polish Armaments Agency and Swedish Saab signed a contract worth approximately 232 million PLN for the delivery of two used Saab 340AEW aircraft with Erieye radar systems, as well as the necessary training and logistics support www.fragoutmag.com