New technical personnel arrived with them as well. They are to operate from Królewo Malborskie until August, when the Polish tour of
duty with the Baltic Air Policing would conclude, and the four lacking
mig-29s would return from Lithuania.
It has already been announced that the two French rotations would not be the last. As per Dutch Ministry of Defense announcement
of May, the Koninklijke Luchtmacht aircraft would arrive in Królewo Malborskie in September to support Polish and Baltic States' aerial
defense until the end of 2014. The Dutch aircraft would be four multirole
lockheed martin F-16Am/Bm Fighting
Falcons. Would they be the last foreign aircraft flying over the Malbork Castle remains to be seen in the near future – everything
depends on the uneasy development concerning the Ukraine.
This series of extended visits at the same time seems to justify the additional money spent on the recent modernization of the air bases.
In mid-June Poland had hosted a total of 22 additional NATO multirole combat aircraft (18 F-16C/D Fighting Falcons of the US Air Force and
4 Mirage 2000s of the Armée de l'Air), as well as a pair of USAF Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker in-flight refueling aircraft.
The Rafales have concluded their mission in early June, replaced by older Mirage 2000s.
Dutch F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcons are expected to arrive in Królewo Malborskie in September
REPORT
