Bartosz Grodecki announced that Nawrocki signed a decree appointing Nowak to the post effective June 2.
A formal ceremony is scheduled to take place at the presidential palace in Warsaw on Tuesday.
The operational commander is one of the three most senior military positions in Poland, alongside the chief of the General Staff and the General Commander of the Armed Forces.
The role oversees operational military activities, including airspace security, protection of Poland’s eastern border, operations in the Baltic Sea and the command of Polish military contingents deployed abroad.
Nowak succeeds Klisz, who has held the post since October 2023.
According to information previously released by Poland’s defence ministry and General Staff, a Polish general is expected to assume the position of chief of staff at NATO’s Joint Force Command Brunssum in the Netherlands later this year.
Polish media reports have indicated that Klisz is the likely candidate for the assignment.
Gen. Maciej Klisz. Photo: PAP/Albert Zawada
A fighter pilot with more than 3,500 flight hours on military jet aircraft, including over 2,500 hours on F-16 fighter jets, Nowak is regarded as one of Poland’s most experienced air force officers.
During his military career, he has held a series of command and staff positions, including commander of the 2nd Tactical Air Wing based in Poznań-Krzesiny, western Poland. He also played a role in introducing F-16 fighters into the Polish Air Force.
Since October, Nowak has served as deputy general commander of the armed forces, overseeing military training and equipment programmes. He has also been involved in the integration of South Korean FA-50 light combat aircraft and US-made F-35 fighter jets into Poland’s armed forces.
Earlier this year, Nowak participated in a ceremonial escort mission for Poland's first F-35 aircraft as they arrived at Łask Air Base.
Klisz, a former commander of Poland’s Territorial Defence Forces and a veteran of special operations units, oversaw several key military missions during his tenure as operational commander. These included responses to Russian drone incursions into Polish airspace, heightened air patrols linked to Russia’s war in neighbouring Ukraine, protection of critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, and military support operations along Poland’s border with Belarus.
The Operational Command also oversees Polish military deployments abroad, including missions in Latvia, Romania, Turkey, Iraq and Lebanon.
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Source: IAR, PAP