Polish Air Force PZL130 upgrade programme
During a ceremony held at the Airbus facility in Warsaw on 25 October 2022, the last of 28 (serial 044) upgraded turbo driven two-seat PZL130 Orlik training aircraft was handed back to the Sily Powietrzne RP (Polish Air Force). All aircraft were modernised from TC-I to TC-II standard.
Between 2011 and 2013, the first batch, consisting of sixteen aircraft, were modernised from TC-I to TC-II standard. This deal had a total value of 37 million euros (148,6 million Zloty). In December 2017 a second contract was signed for the modernisation of another twelve aircraft with a total value of 44,6 million euros (186 million Zloty).
The Chief of the Air Force Management Board said: "Despite the turbulent times of transformation, Poland has managed to maintain a complete training system in the air force. It enables sovereign, autonomous training of jet, fast and transport aircraft and helicopter pilots. The Orlik plays a major role in the training subsystem’s of jet aircraft. This is the basic training aircraft, on which we make the selection, and the pilots will meet for the first time with overload, higher speeds, maneuvers in ordinary, tactical formations and with a certain standard of briefings. This aircraft will be the first platform on which any future F-16, FA-50 or F-35 pilot will be trained."
The serials of the modernised PZL130TC-IIs, all based at Radom/Sadkow and operated by the 4. Skrzydło Lotnictwa Szkolnego (4.SLSz), are:
Photo by Maciej Szopa/Defence24