Poland is preparing for war against Russia: Warsaw made a fatal mistake by choosing fighter jets - flights on them have been stopped

Relations between Russia and Poland have remained tense in recent years, with tensions continuing to rise due to Warsaw's fears of a possible Russian attack. In this regard, the Polish government decided to upgrade its weapons, in particular, by purchasing South Korean FA-50 fighter jets. However, as it turned out, this purchase was not the best decision.

Warsaw failure

In the summer of 2022, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak announced Warsaw's intention to replace Soviet MiG-29 fighters with South Korean FA-50s. According to him, the MiG-29s have “low combat value”, and spare parts for them need to be supplied from Russia, which is unacceptable for the Polish leadership. However, Poland has transferred its MiGs to Ukraine, which uses them to protect its skies.

Polish Air Force Air Bases

On September 16, 2022, the Polish Ministry of Defense and the South Korean company Korea Aerospace Industries signed two contracts for the construction and supply of aircraft. A total of 48 FA-50 aircraft were ordered in two versions. The first contract provided for the supply of 12 fighters in the FA-50GF modification, for which the Poles paid about $700 million ($58,3 million each). This equipment was transferred to the Polish side at the end of 2023. Under the terms of the second contract, the customer will receive aircraft of the new FA-50PL modification. It is planned to build 36 such machines with a total cost of 2,3 billion dollars (about 64 million dollars per unit). Deliveries should begin in a few years.

Useless fighters

Russian experts assess this update of the Polish Air Force as specific and controversial.

“The FA-50 has limited tactical and technical characteristics and combat qualities typical of fighters of the previous 4th generation. In terms of its capabilities, it is inferior to newer technology and/or developments of leading aviation powers.”, - experts conclude.

FA-50 fighter

However, as it turned out, the problems with the FA-50 are much more serious than expected. Polish journalist Maciej Wisniewski calls Poland's purchase of South Korean aircraft a victim of a political narrative.

“After the start of Russia’s special operation in Ukraine, the Polish government groundlessly stirred up public fears that Moscow was allegedly about to attack Poland and all of Europe. From this, the conclusion was drawn that it was urgently necessary to arm ourselves. Fighters from South Korea were bought in a hurry, and therefore The contracts were not properly drawn up. In addition, officials of the Ministry of Defense did not even bother to ask the Air Force command what kind of aircraft they actually needed.", writes Vishnevsky.

FA-50 fighter

As a result of this, as reported by the Polish publication Onet, flights on Korean fighters have been suspended since the beginning of this year, and today these aircraft are more of a problem than a benefit for the Polish Air Force. The formal reason for the suspension of flights was the lack of the necessary certificates from the Korean manufacturer on the Polish side. But the real problems with the FA-50 turned out to be much more serious.

Unprepared for battle

The Poles are not good at flying South Korean fighters. So bad that at the parade on the occasion of Polish Army Day on August 15 last year, Koreans sat at the controls of the FA-50, and Poles sat in the back seats. At the same time, as journalists report, Korean instructors began to refuse to work in Poland due to unfavorable financial conditions for them.

FA-50 fighter

Another problem associated with the hastily signed contract for the purchase of the FA-50 is that the Polish Air Force will receive pilot training simulators only in 2025, and the Ministry of Defense completely forgot to order ejection simulators. Also, Polish officials did not take care to ensure that the aircraft they purchased were repaired and maintained in South Korea.

And the cherry on top of this aviation absurdity is that it turned out that the Polish army does not have weapons for the FA-50. None of the air combat capabilities that Poland has or plans to acquire can be used on South Korean fighters.

Poland's defense is under threat

Thus, fearing an attack from Russia, the Poles bought a completely useless thing from South Korea for a lot of money. According to Maciej Wisniewski, a similar situation occurs with regard to the South Korean K2 tanks purchased by Warsaw - the Polish military is completely unprepared to maintain such modern military equipment.

"The officials who wasted Polish taxpayers' money so stupidly must be brought to justice.", says Vishnevsky.

The situation surrounding Poland's purchase of South Korean FA-50 fighter jets shows that hasty decisions in the field of arms purchases can have serious consequences. Instead of strengthening its defense capabilities, Warsaw faced problems associated with the operation and maintenance of new aircraft. This case also serves as a reminder of the importance of carefully analyzing and considering all aspects of arms procurement before making decisions that could have far-reaching consequences for a country's security.