Last week Touchdown-News were fortunate in being invited to Poland to report on Exercise Strong Resolve 2002 which was taking place
between 1st and 15th March. The exercise is conducted simultaneously on the territory of two countries to simulate two different scenarios,
in Norway a Collective Defence Operation and in Poland a Peace Support Operation.

For the purposes of the exercise Poland was divided into two "countries" Treeland and Woodland, with the latter invading the first and
United Nations asked for assistance. NATO and other friendly nations deploy to Treeland for Rapid Reaction Force operations. Apart from the
aviation elements there were large Army and Navy participation including 47 ships in the Baltic. The command and control for the exercise
being undertaken by the USS Mount Whitney.

Aircraft from 13 countries were deployed to Poland, with the host nations Armed Forces also playing a large role. Danish Air Force F-16's and
RAF Jaguars were used along with Polish AF Fitters as enemy forces of Woodland, all other assets were part of the Peace Support Operation.

Powidz 11.3.03

33 Baza Lotnicza at Powidz played host to the largest deployment of allied forces with Swedish, Finnish, Belgian and Dutch combat
aircraft plus 8 locally based Su-22M-4Ks and 5 Mig-29s from Minsk-Mazowiecki taking part.

We were guests of the Swedish AF unit F21 from Lulea which had deployed 6 recce Viggens along with all the photographic labs and comms
equipment to support the operation. Swedish press arrived for the day on F16M Saab 340 100007/007. During the course of the day most of
the aircraft flew two missions so there was plenty of action to watch and photograph.

Details of aircraft participating:

Swedish AF F21 AJSF.37 37952/52, 37954/54, 37960/60, 37971/62, 37974/64 (plus 1 sheltered)?

Finnish AF F-18C HN-408, HN-424, HN-435, HN-438, HN-446

Belgian AF 2 Wing F-16AM FA47, FA55/FS, FA125, FA128/FS, FA131/FS

Dutch AF 322 Sq F-16AM J-008, J-009, J-013, J-061, J-063

Polish AF 1 ELT Mig-29 38, 40, 59, 65, 92 7 ELT Su-22M-4K 7105, 7308, 7309, 7410, 9101, 9409, 9410, 9513 Right: 1 ELT Mig-29 56 seen at Swidwin in June 2001

The 1 ELT Mig-29s were replacing a planned deployment of 2 Romanian AF Mig-21 Lancers which had cancelled due to the grounding of the
type following a crash on 21st February in Romania.

Bydgoszcz 12.3.02

This base played host to aircraft from 5 different countries along with participation by the based LGPR assets. The main focus of operations
here was SAR, MEDEVAC and Logistic Support with a wide variety of aircraft types present.

Participating aircraft:

Italian AF 15 St HH-3F MM80981/15-10, MM81341/15-29, MM81350/15-38

                46 BA G.222 MM62124/46-88

Latvian AF 3 Tr Sq L-410 145

Lithuanian AF An-26 05 (bl)
                       Mi-8T 10 (bl)

Romanian AF Gr61 IAR.330 SOGAT 78, 101

                   90 ATB C-130B 6150

Ukrainian AF IL-76MD 76680

Polish AF LGPR An-28TD 0723
                             Mi-8T 656
                               W-3 0501, 0502

The LGPR is the Search and Rescue element of 2 ELTL based at Bydgoszcz. The Light Air Transport Squadron element of 2 ELTL had the
following on strength:

A further Mi-8S 619 was on SAR alert.

Bydgoszcz is also home to the large Government rework facility WZL-2 which is responsible for the Mig-29, Su-22 and TS-11. Although access
wasn't possible on this occassion we did lay the groundwork for a future visit. Noted doing post rework engine runs was Su-22M-4K 9616

Another small unit here, PWL-5, is responsible for Mi-2 maintenance and a couple were noted in a hangar: Mi-2RM 2706, Mi-2 7340
Both have been noted by Touchdown on 49 PSB strength at Pruszcz-Gdanski on previous occassions.

We also took advantage of base access for a close look at the preserved aircraft collection and confirmed the following:

Miroslawiec 13.3.02

The UK element from 54 Sqn at Coltishall were playing the bad guys here along with a large Danish deployment of F-16s and a separate
Danish Army element on Peace Support Operations.

The local Fitter unit 6 ELT were not taking part and look set to disband before the end of this year with the aircraft being dispersed to the
other Fitter bases at Powidz and Swidwin.

Participating aircraft:

RAF 54 Sq Jaguar GR.3 XZ377/EG, XX116/EO, XZ115/PD, XX752/FC, XZ394/GN
                 Jaguar T.4   XX841/PQ

Visiting with Coltishall's Base Commander was T.4 XX845/ET

Danish AF Esk 730 F-16AM E-017, E-187, E-190, E-194, E-202, E-596, E-598, E-601, E-602, E-603, E-605, E-606, E-607, E-610

Danish Army AS.550C2 P-254, P-276, P-288, P-319, P-320, P-369 (neither P-320 nor P-369 were TOW equipped)
                        H.500M H-203 + 1 not seen

Based aircraft seen:

6 ELT Su-22M-4K 3618, 3911, 9308 plus 4 bagged
                  TS-11 1403

On SAR det was Mi-8T 627 (ex 36 SPLT)

Visitors:          Romanian AF IAR.330 SOGAT 78                 Polish AF 2 ELTL An-2 1853

Preserved near the base housing is Lim-6M (402) "1403"

Zegrze-Pomorskie 13.3.02

The base was being used as a Forward Logistic Site to support the ships operating in the Baltic. There were no visitors at the time of our
visit, but aircraft from Bydgoszcz and helos from the ships had made stops. We were told that a Merlin HM.1 from HMS Lancaster had made
a visit on the day before.

The locally based 9 ELT with their Mig-21bis are also set to cease operations this year and the only aircraft we saw were in open shelters
on QRA, although flying was apparently almost non existent during the course of the exercise.

Noted were 9 ELT Mig-21bis 9204 and 9745

Swidwin 14.3.02

One of the two Fitter squadrons at this base were providing eight aircraft in the adversary group operating against the Rapid Reaction
Force.

40 ELT Su-22M-4K 3612, 3713, 3715, 3817,                                       3920, 8101, 8207, 8309,                                       8816, 8920        Left: Su-22M-4K 3216 seen here at Swidwin in June 2001

Also noted were Base Flight An-2 1851 and TS-11 1709        Detached for SAR cover were 49 PSB Mi-2s 3803 and 5244

The only other Polish Base involved in Strong Resolve was the old Mig-23 home base at Slupsk. There should have been a French detachment
with 6 SA.330 and 5 SA.342M plus a C.130H and C.160R plus a Belgian AF C-130H and Polish Army with 2 Mi-8 and 2 Mi-24. Unfortunately, a
shortage of time ruled out a visit here. During our stay in Poland we also made short visits to a couple of Army bases at Inowroclaw and Pruszcz-
Gdanski and the Navy base at Darlowo plus the museum at Drzonow.

Inowroclaw 12.3.02

56 PSB 3105 3226 3727 3829 4405 Mi-2s 6428 6429 6922 6923 6924   6943 6946 6947 7332 7333   7335 7336 7337 7341 8220 Right: 56 PSB Mi-2 8220 seen here at Darlowo in June 2001

56 PSB 727 730 731 738 740 Mi-24Ws 741 742 956     Right: 56 PSB Mi-24W 728 seen here at Darlowo in June 2001

A number of the Mi-2s have been previously recorded with the 49 PSB at Pruszcz-Gdanski and may represent unit changes or possibly visitors.
One definite visitor which made a quick stop was 7 PUL W-3W Husar 0810

Pruszcz-Gdanski 12.3.02

Darlowo 13.3.02

2 DMLW  Mi-2RM  2949
              Mi-14PL 1003, 1005, 1007, 1008, 1010, 1011
              Mi-14PS 1013

One further airfield visited at Goleniow on the 15th near the Strong Resolve HQ at Szczecin had a visiting HQ SHAPE UH-60A 24584

Paul Coppin (text), Steve Rush (layout & photographs) & John Green (psychological support!)    /    © Touchdown-News 2002

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