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When visiting Łask you might consider yourself to be on a typical USAFE airbase if it
weren't for the red and white Polish flags. In 2006 the location was closed for a reconstruction
period of two years. Financed by both the Polish Ministry of Defense and NATO, the airbase has
all the facilities that you might find at Western European airbases. Apart from some dispersal areas
nothing reminds of the times when MiG-21's were flying out of Łask.
Sixteen brand new F-16 Block 52+'s have been delivered to the based 10th Tactical Squadron
(10 ELT). The unit is tasked with air defense, ground attack and reconnaissance duties. Recently
it took part in the Bold Avenger exercise and it's scheduled to take part in the Tactical Leadership
Programme(Spain), Bold Avenger (Turkey) and ELITE (Germany) next year.
Being the youngest F-16 squadron in NATO, it will take another three years until 10 ELT is fully
operational. The requirements to become an F-16 pilot in the Polish air force are higher than
those for the other fighter types (even the MiG-29). At this moment 10 ELT has only twelve pilots
available to fly sixteen jets. Apart from that, the reconnaissance mission is very demanding and
there are no other air forces to share experiences regarding the DB-110 recce pods.
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