The farewell of the Polish Su-22 fighters accompanied by their replacement, the FA-50

The Polish Air Force is undergoing a renewal process that will close a long chapter in its history.

The Polish Air Force has already completed its fleet of new FA-50GF Golden Eagle fighters
The Polish Air Force receives and evaluates its first FA-50 fighters, the replacement for the MiG-29

That chapter featured Soviet-made fighters, acquired by Poland during the communist dictatorship that ended in 1989. Two Soviet models are still in service in Poland: the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 and the Sukhoi Su-22, but both have their days numbered. Specifically, the retirement from service of the Polish Su-22 is scheduled for this year and a few days ago they carried out a farewell flight alongside its replacement, the South Korean KAI FA-50 Golden Eagle, in a session aimed at spotters. The Polish military newspaper Polska Zbrojna has shown that moment in the following video:

You can see some screenshots from this video here along with some information about these aircraft. The Su-22 is an export version of the Soviet Sukhoi Su-17 fighter jet, which made its first flight on August 2, 1966, being a development of the Sukhoi Su-7. The Su-17 was the first Soviet fighter with variable geometry wings, a solution to obtain greater maneuverability at low altitudes and greater speed at high altitudes. The wings can be positioned at three angles: 28°, 45° or 62° in relation to the fuselage.

The USSR manufactured 2,867 Su-17s, including their Su-20 and Su-22 variants. Poland received 120 Su-22 fighters, of which only 18 remain in service. The aircraft became popular with pilots and ground crews for two reasons: it is easy to maintain, compared to other aircraft, and its operational readiness is quite good, in addition to being equipped with electronic warfare systems. Polish Su-22s have been operational since the early 1980s.

The Su-22 is the largest fighter jet ever operated by the Polish Air Force, with a fuselage measuring 19 meters long and a wingspan of 13.68 meters at full wingspan. It can reach a speed of 1,860 km/h, with a range of 2,300 kilometers and a flight ceiling of 14,200 meters.

The FA-50 Golden Eagle will replace the Su-22 and MiG-29 in Poland. In June 2022, Poland confirmed the purchase of 48 KAI FA-50s from South Korea. Of those 48, 12 are of the FA-50GF variant and their deliveries have already been completed. The FA-50GF is the Polish variant of the FA-50 Block 10, with Link 16 data link and the capability to carry AN/AAQ-33 Sniper XR target designators. The fleet will be completed with 36 FA-50PL fighters, which will be delivered between November 2025 and September 2028. The FA-50PL is the Polish version of the FA-50 Block 20, capable of carrying a wider variety of weapons and equipped with an APG-83 AESA radar.

The FA-50 is a light fighter with many elements in common with the F-16, a model also operated by Poland, which has logistical advantages. The South Korean fighter reaches a maximum speed of 1,852 km/h, with a range of 1,800 kilometers and a flight ceiling of 14,630 meters. It has highly advanced avionics and is smaller than the Su-22: its fuselage is 13.1 meters long and has a wingspan of 9.5 meters.