Poland has agreed to the immediate transfer of its entire fleet of MiG-29s to help the war effort in Ukraine. (Janes/Patrick Allen)

Poland has agreed to the immediate transfer of its entire fleet of MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum' combat aircraft to help the war effort in Ukraine, and has urged other NATO operators of the same type to do the same.

The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the decision in a statement released on 8 March, reviving the seemingly moribund European Union (EU) plan of the week before to transfer to Kyiv the Soviet-era fighters that the Ukrainian Air Force is trained and equipped to fly.

“The authorities of the Republic of Poland, after consultations between the president and the government, are ready to deploy – immediately and free of charge – all their MiG-29 jets to the [US Air Force's] Ramstein Air Base [in Germany], and place them at the disposal of the government of the United States of America,” the ministry said. “At the same time, Poland requests the United States to provide us with used aircraft with corresponding operational capabilities. Poland is ready to immediately establish the conditions of purchase of the planes. The Polish government also requests other NATO allies – owners of MiG-29 jets – to act in the same vein.”

The announcement partially solidifies a plan announced by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, on 27 February, in which he said that Bulgaria, Poland, and Slovakia would transfer their MiG-29 fighters (and Sukhoi Su-25 ‘Frogfoot' ground attack aircraft in the case of Bulgaria). “We are going to provide even fighting jets,” Borrell said. “[Kyiv] has been asking us that they need the kind of fighting jets that the Ukrainian [Air Force] is able to operate. We know that some [EU] member states have these kind of planes, and the western borders of Ukraine are still open and several [of these] member states have a border with Ukraine.”

When the plan was first announced, it was reported that the US would look to backfill these donated aircraft with Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons that are in service with Poland, and which are on order for Bulgaria and Slovakia. It is this that the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred to when it said that it “requests the United States to provide us with used aircraft with corresponding operational capabilities”. While this would work for Poland, which operates the F-16, for Slovakia and Bulgaria, it would require that NATO fighters are permanently located on their soil until such time as it has air and ground crews trained on the type and deliveries of those aircraft on order are commenced.

As noted by Janes World Air Forces, the Polish Air Force fields 21 single-seat and six twin-seat MiG-29s; the Bulgarian Air Force fields 11 single-seat and three twin-seat MiG-29s; while the Slovak Air Force fields nine single-seat and two twin-seat MiG-29 aircraft (although only a small number is thought to be in an airworthy condition). The Bulgarian Air Force also fields six single-seat and two twin-seat Su-25s. If these aircraft were to be donated, the Ukrainian Air Force could receive as many as 52 MiG-29s and eight Su-25s.

While Poland has confirmed its intent to deliver its MiG-29s to the US for onward transfer to Ukraine, neither Slovakia nor Bulgaria had declared their intentions at the time of publication. By way of caution, that this ‘on/off' plan to transfer the MiGs to Ukraine is not yet certain despite the Polish government's announcement, the US Department of Defense noted shortly after the statement was made, “We have seen the Polish government's announcement. We have nothing to offer at this time.”