Published: 4/24/1998

The Polish Air Force is focusing on limited upgrades to its front line aircraft, to make them able to operate to NATO and ICAO standards. Due to a limited budget, only 22 MiG-29s and some 50 Su-22M4s - the youngest in service - are to be covered by the process. It is planned that GPS and TACAN systems will be installed along with constant adjusting communication transceivers. No timescale has been set, but last year tests with the GPS receiver were carried out on one of the Su-22s being overhauled by the military maintenance unit WZL-2 of Bydgoszcz. MiG-29s - also overhauled by WZL-2 - are being installed with quick-access recorders from ATM of Warsaw. Unfortunately, to date there are no funds for weapon systems to be added to the upgrade programme, so modernisation facilities offered by DASA (MiG-29) and the Suchoi/Sextant team (Su-22) will not materialise. (MM) (DF498.5)

Article ID: 154