Poland will most likely send its entire upgraded Su-22 fighter-bomber fleet to Ukraine after they have a replacement product.

This is similar to the case of previous MiG-29 fighters. Poland recently signed a contract with Korea to buy 12 FA-50 Block 10 multirole fighters for $700 million. The second phase Warsaw will receive 36 FA-50PLs with a price of 2.3 billion USD, produced domestically.

Polish effort to standardize armament according to NATO requirements. The country has been looking for a multi-role fighter to replace the MiG-29 and Su-22 fighter for a long time. According to the announcement, the MiG-29 is currently being replaced by the F-16 Block 52, and the future will be supplemented with the 5th generation stealth fighter F-35A Lightning II. And the FA-50 was purchased to soon eliminate the Su-22 fleet.

Meanwhile, Polish media are talking about the prospect that the entire Su-22 squadron will be given aid to Ukraine. They will follow in the footsteps of the MiG-29 to defend the neighboring country’s skies, while also taking on the role of fire support. Despite being an old combat platform, the Polish fighter-bombers that underwent an upgrade a little while ago will still be very useful to Ukraine. Currently, Kyiv is facing a shortage of combat aircraft, because its fleet of Su-24 and Su-25 is in decline.

According to Defense 24 magazine, the Polish Ministry of Defense has completed a program to extend the life of 18 Su-22 Fitters, including 12 single-seat Su-22M4s and six two-seat Su-22M3Ks. The modernized Su-22s have been fitted with new avionics, including the replacement of outdated mechanical clocks with modern displays, as well as a flight data storage system.

The new control and combat system of the Su-22 will be compatible with current standards of the Polish military as well as NATO. Most notably, the aircraft can carry precision-guided weapons manufactured by NATO, such as anti-radar missiles AGM-88 HARM or air-to-surface missiles AGM-65 Maverick, GBU, JDAM guided bombs, et cetera. This is extremely useful for Ukraine, because Kyiv is struggling to receive many high-tech NATO aviation ammunition, but their fighters are not compatible. It is clear that upgraded Su-22 attack aircraft from Poland will be a combat vehicle that Ukraine is looking forward to receiving soon.