APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200070031-4
800 combat aircraft. Of these, approximately 270 are the obsolescent FRESCO aircraft, of which about 100 have probably been modified at Polish factories to increase their speed and range. The Air Force also has 40 BEAGLE (Il-28) aircraft which, though assigned as light bombers, also are used for reconnaissance. Modern equipment consists of nearly 370 FISHBED aircraft, all of which are all-weather versions. In recent years the Air Force has received 48 FISHBED H aircraft, which are being used in a reconnaissance role, and more than 50 FISHBED J aircraft used in both air defense and ground support roles.
Poland is divided into three air defense zones that in general coincide with the three military districts. Air defense zone headquarters are located near the military district headquarters at Bydgoszcz, Warsaw (Warsaw/Boernerowo Airfield), and Wroclaw. An air defense corps of two or three fighter regiments and two to three SAM regiments are assigned to each of the zones, each regiment being directly subordinated to its corps headquarters. The air defense early warning system has a sufficient number of new Soviet heavy radars to detect, track, and direct the interception of intruding aircraft.
The tactical air units, which are now subordinated to the Air Force Command, have the function of providing air support to the ground forces. With headquarters at Poznan, this arm consists of three fighter interceptor regiments, five ground attack regiments, a light bomber regiment, two reconnaissance regiments, and three helicopter regiments.
The air transport inventory consists of 32 light and medium transport aircraft and HIP (Mi-8) helicopters, all directly under the Ministry of National Defense. These aircraft serve for general-purpose transport and liaison in support of the Polish military forces. Four CUB (An-12) turboprop transports and five COKE (An-24) make possible realistic paratroop training operations and afford a small airlift capability for the Polish Sixth Airborne Division. However, the Polish forces remain dependent upon the Soviets for large-scale airlift of paratroops and equipment.
There are a minimum of eight SA-2 SAM regiments consisting of about 36 battalions, and at least two SA-3 regiments of about nine battalions. These units are deployed to defend important cities, industrial complexes, and form a barrier along the Baltic coast. Defenses are provided for the cities of Gdansk, Poznan, Szczecin, Warsaw, and the Chorzow-Katowice industrial complex. The SAM sites along the
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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200070031-4
