UPDATE: Poland receives combat drones from Turkey

Poland’s defence minister officially handed over the first set of Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 combat drones to the Polish army on Friday, saying that “there is no modern army without modern drones.”  

Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak attends a ceremony at an army base in the northwestern town of Mirosławiec on Friday, October 28, 2022.

PAP/Marcin Bielecki

Mariusz Błaszczak presented the medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicles to soldiers at Poland’s 12th Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Base in the northwestern town of Mirosławiec, state news agency PAP reported.  

Today, Deputy Prime Minister @mblaszczak, handed over the first TB2 unmanned #Bayraktar UAV systems to the soldiers of the 12th Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Base. pic.twitter.com/T7itO20DEs

— Poland MOD 🇵🇱 (@Poland_MOD) October 28, 2022

Bayraktar TB2 combat drones for the Polish army

The Polish defence minister, who is also a deputy prime minister, said at the ceremony: “There is no modern army without modern drones - in the case of the Bayraktars, drones that, on the one hand, will conduct reconnaissance missions, but on the other, are ready to carry out striking missions.”

Wicepremier @mblaszczak: nie ma nowoczesnego wojska bez nowoczesnych dronów. To ważny etap w modernizacji #WojskoPolskie. Rozpoczynamy proces wyposażania wojska w drony #Bayraktar TB2. pic.twitter.com/GD58IP0yDb

— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) October 28, 2022

Błaszczak added: "Today marks a major stage in the modernisation of the Polish armed forces. We are starting the process of equipping our soldiers with TB2 Bayraktar unmanned aerial vehicles."  

Deputy Prime Minister @mblaszczak: There is no modern army without modern drones. Today marks a major stage in the Polish Armed Forces' modernization. We are starting the process of equipping our soldiers with TB2 #Bayraktar unmanned aerial vehicles. pic.twitter.com/qtclvTTNOv

— Poland MOD 🇵🇱 (@Poland_MOD) October 28, 2022

He told reporters: “We are reconstituting military units and boosting the strength of the Polish army. The first Bayraktar TB2 drones are already at the 12th Base. The soldiers have undergone a training course in Turkey and are motivated to stand guard over Poland's security.”

#Bayraktar trafiły do bazy w Mirosławcu.
Wicepremier @mblaszczak: Odtwarzamy jednostki #WojskoPolskie🇵🇱. Wzmacniamy siły Wojska Polskiego. Pierwsze #Bayraktar są już w 12 Bazie Bezzałogowych Statków Powietrznych.
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📝https://t.co/flCA4MSL8d pic.twitter.com/ecNnstmb4T

— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) October 28, 2022

Błaszczak added: “Further sets of these UAV systems will be systematically introduced to the Polish armed forces. We use all means to make Poland safe.”

Deputy Prime Minister @mblaszczak: We still strengthen the capabilities of the Polish Armed Forces. Today, we received the first delivery of #Bayraktar drones. Next UAV systems will be consistently introduced to the Polish Armed Forces. We use all means to make Poland safe🇵🇱. pic.twitter.com/gBh64Nf4mT

— Poland MOD 🇵🇱 (@Poland_MOD) October 28, 2022

The defence minister said that Bayraktar TB2 drones "performed excellently" on the battlefields of Ukraine, helping defend Poland's eastern neighbour against Russia's invasion. 

He said: “The events in Ukraine prove that it is an effective weapon. In the hands of Ukrainians, it helps successfully defend Ukraine.”

.@mblaszczak: Zamówiliśmy te drony jescze przed wojną na 🇺🇦. Wtedy mówiono nam, szczególnie opozycja, że to broń z której nie będziemy mieć korzyści. To co dzieje się na 🇺🇦 pokazuje, że to my mieliśmy rację. Opozycja likwidowała jednostki i wyprowadzała majątek Wojska Polskiego. pic.twitter.com/Ao77IiF0aH

— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) October 28, 2022

Błaszczak also stated that the first set of Bayraktar TB2 drones delivered to the Polish army on Friday “will be combat-ready in a matter of days.”     

24 Bayraktar TB2 drones for USD 270 mln

Poland ordered four batches of Bayraktar TB2 drones, 24 drones in total, from Turkish contractor Baykar in May 2021, officials said.

Under a contract worth USD 270 million, the UAVs are slated for delivery between 2022 and 2024, the PAP news agency reported. 

In May 2021, an agreement for the delivery of 4 sets of MALE #Bayraktar TB2 🇹🇷 unmanned aerial systems to the Polish Armed Forces 🇵🇱 was signed. This week, we received the first of the sets. Soon, we expect next ones. pic.twitter.com/oTkzG8pzc1

— Poland MOD 🇵🇱 (@Poland_MOD) October 28, 2022

Friday is day 247 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

(pm/gs)

Source: PAP, businessinsider.com.pl