Poland has signed an agreement with Russian arms export agency Rusvooruzhenie and Sukhoi to upgrade 15 of the air force's Su-22 attack aircraft. Upgrade of a further 50-60 of the Polish air force's 100-strong fleet is also possible.
The agreement has been signed by Sukhoi and the Polish Bydgoszcz WZL-2 aircraft plant, according to Alexander Seleznyev, former Su-22 chief designer at the Russion bureau.
The upgrade will include the installation of satellite and tactical navigation systems, identification friend or foe (IFF) systems and integration with the aircraft's existing avionics. The upgrade work will take three to four months from contract signature, Seleznyev says.
Poland operates the most modern M4 variant of the Su-22, which is its most numerous combat type. The air force recently concluded an agreement with DaimlerChrysler Aerospace and WZL-2 to upgrade its MiG-29s with new avionics systems (Flight International 17-23 February).
Source: Flight International
