About 150 men and 6 F-16 Viper fighter jets are going to be flying over the Polish territory for the next two weeks. The supporting C-17 transport planes and the ground crews have already arrived on Thursday, while the F-16’s are going to arrive in 32. AFB in Łask today (May 11, 2013).
As the Polish Air Force Commander, General Majewski, said, the planes from the Air National Guard 176th Tactical Fighter Squadron originating from Truax AFB in Wisconsin are going to train integration and interoperability with the Polish Jastrząb (Polish name for the F-16) planes. Additionaly the exercise will involve Su-22‘s from 21 AFB in Świdwin and MiG-29‘s from 23 AFB in Minsk Mazowiecki.
Image Credit: USAF
The aim of the exercise is to facilitate integration of pilots, ground and logistics crews. What’s more, the exercise also aims at improving the English linguistic proficiency of the Polish aviators.
On May 17, the American aviators are to be visited by the US Ambassador in Poland, Stephen Mull and by general Majewski.
Integration between PAF and USAF has already begun: a regular rotation of USAF detatchments in Poland has started this year (with Nellis AFB detatchment in Łask being the first one).
Jacek Siminski for TheAviationist
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The “tactical” prefix was dropped from the USAF back in 1992 when TAC was merged into ACC, they are now just “fighter” squadrons, 176th FS “Fighter Squadron”, not TFS.
Go Bagers!
I thought those guys seemed a little busy. They fly an airway right over my town that takes them to the northern training area up by Fort McCoy. And they are headed to my ancestral homeland. Sounds like an interesting working vacation.