Polish pilots receive US F-22 Raptor fifth-generation fighter jets
A few days ago we wrote about the deployment to Poland of American F-22 Raptor fifth-generation fighters. Today, 11 April, the arrival of the planes was confirmed by Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak.
Here's What We Know
According to the Minister of Defence, Polish Air Force pilots will fly the fighters. Mariusz Błaszczak also called the F-22 "one of the most modern aircraft in the world". The newly arrived Raptors belong to the US Air Force's 94th Squadron and will replace the F-15E Strike Eagle.
W Polsce wylądowały amerykańskie myśliwce F-22 Raptor. Jedne z najnowocześniejszych samolotów świota będą współdziałać z polskimi pilotami kontynuując wsparcie na wschodniej flance Sojuszu. pic.twitter.com/juIkXe9rcg
- Mariusz Błaszczak (@mblaszczak) April 11, 2023
The US Air Force has sent planes from Langley-Eustis, Virginia, to Poland in order to establish a forward US fighter presence along NATO's eastern flank. Powidz military airbase became the temporary home for the F-22 Raptor.
Note that the F-22 is rarely used outside the US and is not intended for export. In 2014, the fifth-generation fighter was used for the first time in Syria. Last summer, the US Air Force sent the aircraft to Poland to bolster NATO's eastern flank.
Source: @mblaszczak
