Polish Air Force
| Polish Air Force | |
|---|---|
| Siły Powietrzne | |
| Founded | de facto: 1917 de jure: 1918 |
| Country | Poland |
| Type | Air force |
| Role | Aerial warfare |
| Size |
|
| Part of | Polish Armed Forces |
| March | Marsz Lotników (March of Aviators) |
| Engagements | Polish–Ukrainian War Polish–Soviet War World War II War in Iraq War in Afghanistan Operation Inherent Resolve |
| Website | www |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-Chief | Andrzej Duda |
| Minister of National Defence | Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz |
| Chief of the General Staff | General Wiesław Kukuła |
| General Commander | Generał broni Marek Sokołowski |
| Inspector of the Air Force | Generał brygady Ireneusz Nowak |
| Insignia | |
| Ceremonial flag | |
| Garrison flag | |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | Su-22 |
| Fighter | F-16, F-35, MiG-29 |
| Helicopter | Mi-8, Mi-17, Mi-2, PZL W-3, PZL SW-4, S-70i |
| Reconnaissance | PZL M-28, TB2, MQ-9, Saab 340 |
| Trainer | PZL-130, M-346 |
| Transport | C-130, C-295, M-28, 737 |
The Polish Air Force (Polish: Siły Powietrzne, lit. 'Air Forces') is the aerial warfare branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej (lit. 'Aerial and Air Defense Forces'). In 2014 it consisted of roughly 26,000 military personnel and about 475 aircraft, distributed among ten bases throughout Poland.
The Polish Air Force can trace its origins to the second half of 1917 and was officially established in the months following the end of World War I in 1918. During the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany in 1939, 70% of its aircraft were destroyed. Most pilots, after the Soviet invasion of Poland on 17 September, escaped via Romania and Hungary to continue fighting throughout World War II in allied air forces, first in France, then in Britain, and later also the Soviet Union.