Poland Agrees To Hand Over MiG-29 Fighter Jets To Aid Ukraine

[AntiFascist]

Last edited Tue Mar 8, 2022, 04:21 PM - Edit history (3)

Source: Forbes

Poland is ready to transfer dozens of Soviet-era fighter jets to the United States so they can be made available to the Ukrainian military, it announced Tuesday, after officials in Ukraine pleaded with Western governments to provide warplanes to aid its fight against a Russian invasion.

The Polish military is set to send all of its remaining MiG-29 jets--the same type of fighter jet flown by Ukraine's air force--to the U.S.-run Ramstein Air Base in Germany "immediately and free of charge," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Poland asked the United States to "provide us with used aircraft with corresponding operational capabilities," after reports the United States has weighed replenishing Poland's fleet with American-made F-16 fighter jets.

The Pentagon and State Department did not respond to requests for comment, but Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed to CNN on Sunday the United States supports sending Polish fighter jets to Ukraine and is "working with Poland as we speak to see if we can backfill anything that they provide to the Ukrainians."

Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2022/03/08/poland-agrees-to-hand-over-mig-29-fighter-jets-to-aid-ukraine/

[Ray Bruns]

1. Good news.

[maxsolomon]

2. Here we go.

Are they going to let Ukraine fly them out of Ramstein? That makes the most sense to me; NATO provides maintenance, fuel, armaments, and it operates as a base Russian can't hit.

Or maybe not. I don't know where in Ukraine would be safe to stage fighters.

[AntiFascist]

4. According to their statement...

they will be flown to Remstein to be at the disposal of the United States. I don't think they want to be directly involved in sending to Ukraine, hmmm. I would assume they would then fly to Ukraine.

[NickB79]

15. No. Once in Ukraine, they stay in Ukraine

It's up to the Ukrainians to find airfields to base out of, but they aren't being flown across the border after they enter.

What you suggest is tantamount to a NATO attack on Russia, just using Ukrainian pilots.

[maxsolomon]

16. That's what I thought too.

They're going to be very vulnerable no matter how far west they're stationed.

I get the impression the air war has been limited to this point; though I don't know why. I though Russia had more capability; perhaps the STA missiles we've given them are holding them at bay.

[CentralMass]

3. I wonder if anyone is brewing some tea in Russia.

[dhol82]

5. Just as a question - are there enough functional airports still left in Ukraine?

Not trying to be snarky. The Russia s have been doing an amazing job of destroying the Ukrainian infrastructure.
They will need a place to land the planes and then refuel.

[Happy Hoosier]

9. Yes. The Western part of the country is largely untouched. NT

[dhol82]

21. Excellent!

[Bev54]

6. I gather the US is using them as trade-ins on new jets being supplied

The US will then provide them to Ukraine. That way Russia cannot accuse Poland of providing planes to Ukraine.

[AntiFascist]

8. Yes, I think Poland has been holding off on this because they don't want to become a prime target nt

[Torchlight]

17. In late January, Poland ordered fighters from US manufacturers

Around 30 (?) American Lightnings were placed on order by Poland. Lightnings are multi-role fighters that can target other jets or engage with bombs and missiles to directly support ground operations.

My guess (only a guess) is that the cost of this order for Poland will be substantially less than it was two months ago.

[katusha]

7. something that may not be obvious about this

is that Poland will get NATO aircraft for it's defense, and a reminder to Putin that Poland is and always shall be a NATO member in FULL standing.

[Emile]

10. Why are they taking them to Germany? How they going to hand them

over to Ukraine?

[Akoto]

11. Via the US.

It's being conducted as a trade for newer planes so that Poland can't be said to have directly given aircraft to Ukraine. They get new planes, we move the older ones we have "traded" for to Ukraine. This also upgrades Poland's strength in the air, should they find themselves under threat later.

[Emile]

12. Will Ukraine pilots fly them from Germany to Ukraine?

[Akoto]

13. I think that part is unclear, but I would imagine we would drop them off.

The idea is to avoid attaching any implications of assistance rendered to Poland, so we trade for the planes and then it's up to us to get them there. It won't be them flying. Ramstein is fully equipped to get the planes up and going, so it's a departure point if they want to fly them to Ukraine. Doubt it will be the Russians either, because they would still be our planes at that point. We're more than capable of moving them, at any rate, in some way that never links Poland on an official level. Everybody knows what's going on, of course, but it's curving around the ability to directly accuse a NATO member on Russia's part.

[EX500rider]

14. "Free of charge"...if you replace them with better Western made F-16's...lol

Still a good thing but not quite free of charge.

[tonekat]

18. Not a minute too soon

The sooner the better.

[Tennessee Hillbilly]

19. Most likely some aspects of this are being kept secret.

Obviously the U.S. doesn't want the Russians to know exactly where, or when, or by whom, these planes are being "delivered".

[EndlessWire]

20. Please send a few A-10 Wart Hogs. TY. n/t