POWIDZ AIR BASE, Poland -- More than 100 Airmen and three C-130J Super Hercules cargo aircraft from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, deployed to enhance bilateral defense ties with Polish armed forces members during a scheduled aircraft rotation to the U.S. Air Force Aviation Detachment in Poland, March 31 through April 11 here.
For the first time, Polish and U.S. fighter and cargo aircraft and personnel will share tactics and techniques while flying all together, which will present a more complex training environment for the two NATO allies, according to Polish air force leadership.
“This training gives us new perspective, experience and challenges,” said Polish Air Force Col. Miroslaw Lusiarczyk, 33rd Air Base commander. “This is the first time we will fly together with both transportation and fighter aircraft, which will be a great challenge.”
The allied forces will work together to increase interoperability through various exercises, including container delivery system bundle drops, grass-strip tactical landings and observation flights.
In addition to flying together, Polish and U.S. service members will jump together. The Polish land forces and special operations forces are able to jump from U.S. aircraft because of the presence of a joint team of U.S. jump masters. The Polish will train with U.S. Air Force paratroopers, along with a small contingent of U.S. Army paratroopers and a U.S. Navy freefall jump master to build partnership capacity for real-world scenarios.
"With each rotation, the Av-Det works to improve our processes to support the incoming U.S. armed forces unit and build a stronger partnership with the Polish armed force," said U.S. Air Force Maj. Matthew Spears, Av-Det commander.
These combined training rotations increase cooperation between the U.S and Polish armed forces and strengthen interoperability as NATO allies, as a result of an agreement between U.S. President Barack Obama and Polish President Bronisław Komorowski.
“Flying together allows us to work together and that is very important to us for future cooperation,” Lusiarczyk told the U.S. personnel. “I wish you all good luck and clear skies.”