Poland lacks around 30 F-16 pilots — RMF24

Poland has around 40 trained F-16 fighter pilots, although operating its current fleet requires at least 70 aviators. This was reported by RMF24, citing the newspaper Rzeczpospolita.

Following last year's crash, in which one aircraft was lost, Poland's fleet numbers 47 F-16 fighters. According to an estimate cited by the publication, each such aircraft should have at least 1.5 pilots. This means that approximately 70 military aviators with the relevant specialization are needed.

Training takes years

Future pilots undergo initial training in Poland and acquire specialized skills, in particular, in the United States. At the same time, the capacity of Poland's training system is limited: it can graduate only several jet pilots per year.

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Reasons for the shortage include candidates dropping out during training, strict medical requirements, and a limited number of places on foreign courses. Therefore, even with increased funding, it will be difficult to quickly increase the number of aviators ready to serve on F-16s.

Needs will grow with new equipment

Poland is also introducing F-35 fighters into service, but F-16s will continue to be an important component of its air force. Training a military pilot takes many years, so staffing crews requires long-term planning.

AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, deliveries of which to Poland are to begin in 2028, will pose a separate personnel challenge. The country has ordered 96 such aircraft, each requiring two pilots. According to Rzeczpospolita's calculations, nearly 200 aviators will be needed by 2032 to form two-person crews, and nearly 300 based on a ratio of 1.5 pilots per helicopter. The Polish army's plans provide for training more than 400 Apache pilots.