The military has 15 of its airports and 3 are co-users. At the same time, he wants to make more bases, investing in infrastructure for helicopters, unmanned and spare for combat aviation. However, the improvement of aviation infrastructure is not all. In addition, the armed forces intend to practice a crisis/war review maneuver for selected civilian airports. All these actions are the consequence of the conclusions that flow from the Russian-Ukrainian war, but besides ambitious plans to increase the number of aircraft operated.
According to the communication of the 17th Terrestrial Airport Branch, the ongoing general renovation of 21th Tactical Air Base will cost about PLN 2.5 billion. In fact, Swidwin Airport is being built again. For a reason, it is intended to accommodate both squadrons FA-50PL aircraftas well as a completely separate squadron F-35A fighters. Additionally, in 21 BLT will proceed to station 1 Search and Rescue Group with 4 helicopters, supporting the intensive activity of our and allied aviation in the north of the country.
W Swidwini finished construction of a fire brigade and renovation of a twelve alleged shelter hangar. Construction companies are presently upgrading the runway, taxiways, aircraft stopping planes, expanding the lighting system, hangars. The majority of the facilities are to be put into service from spring to autumn 2026 (although these for FA-50PL will be built at a later date), and their main contractor, by the investor's choice, is AMW Sinevia. She is besides liable for adapting 32 Tactical Aviation Base in Grace to the area F-35A squadrons. There, too, a separate infrastructure is created for the Hussar division.
The witch in construction is costly due to the fact that it is simply a circumstantial base. In 2 years' time there will be "invisible jets" requiring circumstantial operating conditions. Built from scratch or rebuilt or adapted to the needs of chopper squadrons or unmanned base in Zegrą Pomorski, Malbork, Świdnik, or possibly in Zielona Góra or Bydgoszcz will be cheaper. The final estimation will depend on the functionality of the objects expected by future users. The Ministry of Defence will most likely pay the most to build a base for 32 AH-64E helicopters on the meadow, on the another side of the runway of the airport close Lublin. The costs will include hangars, parts and weapons warehouses, pilot and technician cabins, fuel depots, simulator building, pass office, taxiways, plane stops, landings (helipads) and administrative-cots buildings, watchrooms, garages, repair workshops, sports facilities as well as own: a defender of the military fire brigade and a flight control tower with method infrastructure. I value carefully: PLN 1.5 billion.
Drogo may besides be in Zegrą Pomorski, where the remains of the erstwhile 24 Air Base have returned from the resources of the Military Property Agency to the condition of the armed forces. In 2024, representatives of the MON announced that sub-chambers would be placed at the Sub-Chain Airport Marine Rocket Unit (now the MW Rocket Brigade), unmanned base, sub-chapters of the 8th Anti-Aircraft Regiment and school squadron. Given the condition of the facility and the needs of the indicated subdivisions, the budget of the work here will exceed PLN billion.
Brig-Gen Jacek Sankowski, manager of the MON Infrastructure Department, at the gathering of the legislature Defence Committee announced in January this year that the military conducts exploitation analyses in the state defence strategy besides civilian airports specified as Goleniów and Babimost. As a reserve soldier and an unfulfilled aviator, I read this information as an intention to place in the airfields, made available by civilian port managers, military “buildings” in the form of hangars, aprons, barracks and warehouse facilities, which would support Polish and allied aviation activities during the crisis and war, for example allowing faster arrival of reinforcement forces. A akin “building”, as an airport command, has been operating (and will be expanded) at Wrocław-Strachowice Airport for years. I do not anticipate traditional, full-fledged bases to be established in Goleniów and Babimost. The military will be full satisfied with ground teams/air operations support groups.
During a gathering of Senators with aviation officers, there was besides information about the military usage in the future of the airport in Bydgoszcz, which is expected to become a base for an unmanned device unit. I stay skeptical about this. Although the Swedish territory inactive belongs to the military, and civilians only usage it, will we have so many bigger unmanned people to operate from 3 bases (Mirosławiec, Zegr Pomorskie plus Bydgoszcz)? This is not happening at the moment, and it seems risky to me to establish a base of remote-controlled machines right next to a large city, given that in certain weather or air traffic scenarios they would gotta fly over alternatively densely built areas.
Another base at the fresh central airport in Baranów. This is the future, as it is to be launched in 2032. due to the fact that the base in Powidz has turned into an American-Polish logistics hub and despite its size it will slow start to deficiency space there, it seems that it is to Baranów that fresh transport and refueling aircraft and future Polish AWACS – if we buy them. There, too, jets operating HEAD flights could be moved from the 1st Transport Air Base in Okęcie, due to the planning of a regulation or even the closure of a military airport in the capital. On Okęcie there would be a chopper and logistics part of 1 BLTr. erstwhile proposing changes, it should be borne in head that air force bases inactive have military economical functions and carry out support tasks besides for another units.
In addition to expanding the state of ownership, both the number of aircraft and the combined usage of civilian infrastructure, alleged human issues stay to be addressed. We are talking about removing sound limits for military flights (because they run out of regular limits for commercial port operations) and introducing facilitations in certification and work of controllers in uniforms in the towers of these shared airports. Theoretically, things seem simple – they require legislative and organisational changes. sound issues can be dealt with quickly, not in the field, but in the centre of Warsaw, on Wiejska Street. Harder with the second subject. The issue of giving military auditors powers regarding civilian facilities has been known for respective years and remains unresolved. possibly it is essential to approach this creatively and alternatively of giving civilian powers to officers, to give the controllers of the Polish Air Navigation Agency working in towers mobilization allowances and train them as sub-commissioners/reserve officers? This is simply a peculiar time, a peculiar profession, a state agenda...
