Poland to buy A330 MRTT+ tankers and focus on two new combat squadrons?
Photo. 31. Baza Lotnictwa Taktycznego Poznań-Krzesiny
Poland is preparing a two-stage modernization of its Air Force, beginning with the acquisition of Airbus A330 MRTT+ aerial refuelling aircraft and followed by the procurement of combat jets for two new fighter squadrons, Gen. Ireneusz Nowak said in an interview with Defence24.
Warsaw plans to buy up to four tankers—two through the European SAFE fund and two via a traditional purchase—with the first deliveries expected around 2029–2030, after which the priority will shift decisively to expanding frontline combat power rather than trading fighters for support aircraft.
Poland will seek to acquire Airbus A330 MRTT tankers — specifically the newest A330 MRTT+ variant based on the A330neo — through the European SAFE fund, and will order as many aircraft under that programme as is possible, Gen. Dyw. pilot Ireneusz Nowak told Defence24. The Air Force plans to procure two A330 MRTT+ aircraft with SAFE money and two more via a traditional purchase; four tankers are viewed as the operational optimum, with the first pair expected to arrive around 2029–2030 owing to Airbus production limits.
The choice of the A330 MRTT+ reflects its class-leading technical parameters and its ability — thanks to fuel stored in the wings — to carry fuel and refuelling equipment while also transporting passengers and palletised cargo. In the interview General Nowak also said Poland considered returning to the multinational MMF programme but concluded that participation would cost roughly the same as buying two brand-new A330 MRTT aircraft outright.
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Once the tanker acquisition is closed out, the Polish Air Force will shift its primary procurement focus to new combat aircraft to form two additional operational squadrons, Nowak said — dismissing rumours that new tanker purchases would come at the expense of expanding fighter forces. The Air Force wants a platform that is maximally flexible: capable of gaining air superiority, fielding substantial firepower, and — ideally — offering electronic-warfare capability and strong domestic supportability or local servicing.
Nowak added that the Air Force has already thoroughly examined candidate types including the F-15EX, F-16 Block 70, Eurofighter, KF-21 Boramae and the F-35, and stands ready to provide the government with the “best military advice” on which option to choose — noting that each contender has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Taken together, the statements sketch a two-stage modernization path: secure strategic aerial-refuelling and transport capability first (with Airbus A330 MRTT+ at the centre), then proceed rapidly to enlarge front-line combat power by adding two fully equipped fighter squadrons — while insisting that procurement choices maximise flexibility, combat reach and sustainment by the domestic defence industry.
